USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28711 — Black Mountain, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Black Mountain 2 W, NC (2,290 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Black Mountain, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Black Mountain 2 W, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 184 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 27%
- Snow per year
- 2.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Black Mountain
Half of springs at Black Mountain 2 W, NC see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 102 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 9 and February 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Black Mountain 2 W, NC, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 28711 →Compare Black Mountain with another place →
Weather by month in Black Mountain
July is the warmest month at Black Mountain 2 W, NC, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,435 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,248) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 7 |
| Feb | 52 | 28 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 55 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 93% | 4 | 185 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 23% | <1 | 399 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 1% | 0 | 489 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 77% | 4 | 225 |
| Nov | 59 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 100% | 22 | 20 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Black Mountain 2 W, NC (2,290 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, N Fk 2, NC, 4 miles north of Black Mountain and 190 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 8 days later (October 31), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Black Mountain, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at N Fk 2, NC, 4.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28711
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 28711 is 2 miles from Black Mountain 2 W, NC, which stands at 2,290 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28711 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across North Carolina →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.