USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28773 — Saluda, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tryon, NC (1,320 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Saluda, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Tryon, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 231 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 7
- Last snow
- February 15
- Winters with snow
- 83%
- Snow per year
- 4.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saluda
Half of springs at Tryon, NC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 14 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 November 12 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 51 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 11 days longer, to about April 7, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 73%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tryon, 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 28773 →Compare Saluda with another place →
Weather by month in Saluda
July is the warmest month at Tryon, NC, averaging 86°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,494 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,735) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 851. Precipitation totals 64.4 inches a year, most in August (6.1") and least in February (4.5"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 16 | 22 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 4.5 | 100% | 11 | 34 |
| Mar | 61 | 40 | 5.5 | 94% | 6 | 129 |
| Apr | 70 | 49 | 5.3 | 33% | 1 | 301 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 5.3 | 1% | 0 | 528 |
| Jun | 83 | 65 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 721 |
| Jul | 86 | 69 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Sep | 79 | 62 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Oct | 70 | 51 | 4.9 | 16% | <1 | 337 |
| Nov | 60 | 41 | 4.8 | 87% | 5 | 114 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 6.0 | 98% | 12 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tryon, NC (1,320 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, Hendersonville 1 NE, NC, 9 miles northwest of Saluda and 840 feet higher, has a last frost 18 days later (April 14), a first frost 18 days earlier (October 25), a season 39 days shorter.
When it snows in Saluda, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saluda usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tryon, NC, 5.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 83% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28773
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 28773 is 6 miles from Tryon, NC, which stands at 1,320 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29322 (Campobello). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28773 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.