USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28762 — Old Fort, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC (1,425 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Old Fort, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 183 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
- 27%
- Snow per year
- 2.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Old Fort
Half of springs at Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 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 22, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 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 13 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Old Fort Ag 3 W, 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 28762 →Compare Old Fort with another place →
Weather by month in Old Fort
July is the warmest month at Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 25°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,513 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,290) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 735.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 25 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Feb | 54 | 26 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Mar | 60 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 71 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 96% | 5 | 196 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 26% | <1 | 396 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 498 |
| Oct | 71 | 43 | 76% | 3 | 231 |
| Nov | 61 | 32 | 100% | 19 | 51 |
| Dec | 52 | 27 | 100% | 21 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC (1,425 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, N Fk 2, NC, 9 miles west of Old Fort and 1,055 feet higher, has a last frost 16 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 8 days later (October 31), a season 23 days longer.
When it snows in Old Fort, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at N Fk 2, NC, 9.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28762
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 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 28762 is 4 miles from Old Fort Ag 3 W, NC, which stands at 1,425 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28762 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.