USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28763 — Otto, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Coweeta Exp Stn, NC (2,247 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Otto, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Coweeta Exp Stn, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 175 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 Otto
Half of springs at Coweeta Exp Stn, NC see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 103 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 7, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 9 and February 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Coweeta Exp Stn, 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 28763 →Compare Otto with another place →
Weather by month in Otto
July is the warmest month at Coweeta Exp Stn, NC, averaging 86°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,672 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,392) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 725. Precipitation totals 72.2 inches a year, most in December (7.3") and least in July (5.1"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 26 | 7.1 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Feb | 55 | 29 | 6.5 | 100% | 19 | 21 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 6.7 | 100% | 13 | 86 |
| Apr | 71 | 42 | 6.1 | 94% | 4 | 229 |
| May | 78 | 50 | 5.3 | 31% | <1 | 435 |
| Jun | 83 | 57 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 607 |
| Jul | 86 | 61 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Aug | 85 | 60 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 5.7 | 6% | <1 | 516 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 5.1 | 87% | 5 | 252 |
| Nov | 62 | 33 | 6.1 | 100% | 17 | 65 |
| Dec | 54 | 28 | 7.3 | 100% | 22 | 24 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Coweeta Exp Stn, NC (2,247 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, Franklin, NC, 9 miles north of Otto, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 6 days later (October 23), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Otto, 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, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28763
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 28763 is under a mile from Coweeta Exp Stn, NC, which stands at 2,247 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28763 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.