USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28732 — Fletcher, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Asheville Regional Airport, NC (2,117 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Fletcher, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, Asheville Regional Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 201 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
- December 26
- Last snow
- March 14
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- 10.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fletcher
Half of springs at Asheville Regional Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 27 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 222 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 88 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 23, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Asheville Regional Airport, 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 28732 →Compare Fletcher with another place →
Weather by month in Fletcher
July is the warmest month at Asheville Regional Airport, NC, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 29°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,901 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,471) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 778. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in August (5.0") and least in October (3.4"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 4.1 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 18 | 22 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 3.8 | 99% | 11 | 88 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 4.2 | 74% | 2 | 235 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 4.1 | 7% | <1 | 459 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.4 | 62% | 2 | 264 |
| Nov | 60 | 36 | 3.7 | 100% | 13 | 70 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 4.2 | 100% | 19 | 25 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Asheville Regional Airport, NC (2,117 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, 4 miles west of Fletcher, has a last frost 8 days later (April 17), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 23), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Fletcher, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fletcher usually arrives around December 26, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Asheville Regional Airport, NC, 2.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28732
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 28732 is 3 miles from Asheville Regional Airport, NC, which stands at 2,117 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 28704 (Arden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28732 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.