USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28754 — Mars Hill, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marshall, NC (1,920 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Mars Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Marshall, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 173 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
- December 9
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mars Hill
Half of springs at Marshall, NC see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 122 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 9 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marshall, 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 28754 →Compare Mars Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Mars Hill
July is the warmest month at Marshall, NC, averaging 85°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 24°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,358 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,196) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716. Precipitation totals 41.7 inches a year, most in July (4.4") and least in October (2.3"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 51 | 26 | 2.8 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Mar | 59 | 31 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 54 |
| Apr | 69 | 38 | 3.7 | 98% | 9 | 167 |
| May | 76 | 48 | 3.8 | 39% | 1 | 376 |
| Jun | 82 | 57 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.4 | 3% | <1 | 494 |
| Oct | 70 | 41 | 2.3 | 89% | 7 | 208 |
| Nov | 59 | 30 | 2.8 | 100% | 20 | 43 |
| Dec | 49 | 26 | 3.4 | 100% | 23 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marshall, NC (1,920 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, Burnsville Ag, NC, 14 miles east of Mars Hill and 905 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 1 day later (October 19), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Mars Hill, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mars Hill usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marshall, NC, 9.2 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 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28754
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 28754 is 9 miles from Marshall, NC, which stands at 1,920 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28787 (Weaverville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28754 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.