USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28713 — Bryson City, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bryson City 4, NC (1,985 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Bryson City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Bryson City 4, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 189 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 3
- Last snow
- April 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 76.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bryson City
Half of springs at Bryson City 4, NC see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 2 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 210 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 96 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 April 30, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 22 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bryson City 4, 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 28713 →Compare Bryson City with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Cherokee, NC, 11 miles northeast of Bryson City, has a last frost 1 day later (April 17), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 21), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Bryson City, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bryson City usually arrives around November 3, and the last of the season around April 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mt Leconte, TN, 18 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 7 days before the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28713
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 28713 is 4 miles from Bryson City 4, NC, which stands at 1,985 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28713 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.