USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28761 — Nebo, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marion, NC (1,410 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Nebo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Marion, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 209 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 3
- Last snow
- February 17
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 7.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nebo
Half of springs at Marion, NC see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 101 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 19, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 25 and February 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marion, 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 28761 →Compare Nebo with another place →
Weather by month in Nebo
July is the warmest month at Marion, NC, averaging 85°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 28°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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,104 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,546) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 806. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in February (3.7"); 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 | 28 | 4.7 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 20 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.3 | 98% | 13 | 95 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 4.9 | 68% | 4 | 258 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 5.3 | 1% | <1 | 480 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 681 |
| Jul | 85 | 67 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Aug | 84 | 66 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Sep | 79 | 60 | 4.8 | 0% | <1 | 585 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 4.1 | 45% | 5 | 287 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 15 | 85 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 4.9 | 100% | 21 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marion, NC (1,410 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, Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC, 12 miles west of Nebo, has a last frost 16 days later (April 21), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 23), a season 26 days shorter.
When it snows in Nebo, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nebo usually arrives around January 3, and the last of the season around February 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marion, NC, 5.9 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 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28761
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 28761 is 6 miles from Marion, NC, which stands at 1,410 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 28752 (Marion). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28761 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.