USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28729 — Etowah, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC (2,190 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Etowah, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 186 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
- January 16
- Last snow
- February 10
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 6.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Etowah
Half of springs at Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% 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 9 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 23, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 118 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 13 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pisgah Forest 3 NE, 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 28729 →Compare Etowah with another place →
Weather by month in Etowah
July is the warmest month at Pisgah Forest 3 NE, 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 March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 89% of years and May still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,469 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,259) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 718. Precipitation totals 65.1 inches a year, most in August (6.2") and least in October (4.9"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 26 | 5.9 | 100% | 24 | 11 |
| Feb | 53 | 28 | 5.0 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
| Mar | 60 | 34 | 5.3 | 100% | 17 | 64 |
| Apr | 69 | 41 | 5.3 | 89% | 7 | 183 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 5.1 | 22% | 1 | 396 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 5.4 | 2% | <1 | 501 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 4.9 | 79% | 6 | 234 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 5.0 | 100% | 19 | 53 |
| Dec | 52 | 28 | 5.8 | 100% | 23 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC (2,190 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, Asheville 13 S, NC, 8 miles north of Etowah, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 17), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Etowah, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Etowah usually arrives around January 16, and the last of the season around February 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC, 3.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 68 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28729
| 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 28729 is 4 miles from Pisgah Forest 3 NE, NC, which stands at 2,190 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 28768 (Pisgah Forest). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28729 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.