USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28777 — Spruce Pine, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC (2,850 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Spruce Pine, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 177 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 30
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 12.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spruce Pine
Half of springs at Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 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 156 one year in ten. On average 125 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 May 7, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Spruce Pine 2 NE, 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 28777 →Compare Spruce Pine with another place →
Weather by month in Spruce Pine
July is the warmest month at Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,824 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 35% of them (994) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 639.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 24 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
| Apr | 64 | 39 | 97% | 9 | 121 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 36% | 1 | 314 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3% | 0 | 402 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 84% | 5 | 154 |
| Nov | 56 | 32 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC (2,850 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, 11 miles west of Spruce Pine, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 19), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Spruce Pine, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Spruce Pine usually arrives around December 30, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Celo 2 S, NC, 8.5 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 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28777
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 28777 is 4 miles from Spruce Pine 2 NE, NC, which stands at 2,850 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28777 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.