USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28741 — Highlands, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Highlands, NC (3,850 ft), under a mile southeast.
Updated
In Highlands, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Highlands, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 167 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Highlands
Half of springs at Highlands, NC see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 17 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 15 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 115 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 10 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 8 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Highlands, 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 28741 →Compare Highlands with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Highlands
In Highlands, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 17 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 3, 139 days later; that gap is shorter than at 97% of the 172 North Carolina stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 34 days (April 13 to May 17) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (October 3 to October 29): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, 10 miles southeast, the same gap runs from May 12 to October 5, 7 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 16 | 84% | 50% |
| Apr 23 | 68% | 30% |
| Apr 3050% date | 50% | 17% |
| May 7 | 28% | under 10% |
| May 14 | 14% | under 10% |
| May 21 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Highlands
July is the warmest month at Highlands, NC, averaging 78°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,374 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 35% of them (834) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 549. Precipitation totals 88.5 inches a year, most in December (8.7") and least in October (6.5"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 24 | 8.0 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 6.9 | 100% | 21 | 4 |
| Mar | 54 | 32 | 7.6 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 7.0 | 99% | 8 | 100 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 6.6 | 46% | 1 | 264 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 7.2 | 0% | 0 | 435 |
| Jul | 78 | 58 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Aug | 76 | 57 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 508 |
| Sep | 71 | 51 | 8.0 | 6% | <1 | 340 |
| Oct | 63 | 41 | 6.5 | 92% | 6 | 119 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 7.8 | 100% | 17 | 20 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 8.7 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Highlands, NC (3,850 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, Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, 10 miles southeast of Highlands and 1,310 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 2 days later (October 17), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Highlands, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, 9.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28741
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 28741 is under a mile from Highlands, NC, which stands at 3,850 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28741 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.