USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28734 — Franklin, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Franklin, NC (2,125 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Franklin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 187 days (NOAA, Franklin, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 187 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 2.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Franklin
Half of springs at Franklin, NC see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% 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 11 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 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 187 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 166 one year in ten. On average 108 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 1, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 15 and February 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Franklin, 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 28734 →Compare Franklin with another place →
Weather by month in Franklin
July is the warmest month at Franklin, NC, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°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 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,633 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,327) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 744. Precipitation totals 55.5 inches a year, most in January (5.3") and least in October (3.8"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 5.3 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
| Feb | 53 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 20 | 17 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 4.9 | 100% | 14 | 72 |
| Apr | 69 | 42 | 5.0 | 91% | 6 | 198 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.5 | 17% | <1 | 414 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 616 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Sep | 79 | 57 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 528 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.8 | 79% | 5 | 247 |
| Nov | 60 | 33 | 4.3 | 100% | 17 | 54 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 5.2 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Franklin, NC (2,125 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, Coweeta Exp Stn, NC, 9 miles south of Franklin, has a last frost 6 days later (April 23), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 17), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Franklin, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coweeta Exp Stn, NC, 8.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28734
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 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 28734 is under a mile from Franklin, NC, which stands at 2,125 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28734 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.