USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28779 — Sylva, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cullowhee, NC (2,192 ft), 5 miles southeast.
Updated
In Sylva, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Cullowhee, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 184 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
- January 30
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 4.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sylva
Half of springs at Cullowhee, NC see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 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 May 3, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and February 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cullowhee, 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 28779 →Compare Sylva with another place →
Weather by month in Sylva
July is the warmest month at Cullowhee, NC, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 89% of years and May still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,646 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,353) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 744. Precipitation totals 54.1 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 26 | 4.9 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Feb | 53 | 28 | 4.6 | 100% | 19 | 16 |
| Mar | 61 | 34 | 4.6 | 100% | 14 | 72 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 4.7 | 89% | 5 | 212 |
| May | 77 | 51 | 4.3 | 21% | <1 | 429 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 4.3 | 1% | 0 | 524 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.2 | 79% | 4 | 240 |
| Nov | 60 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 16 | 54 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 5.1 | 100% | 21 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cullowhee, NC (2,192 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, Cherokee, NC, 10 miles northwest of Sylva and 227 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 21), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Sylva, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sylva usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around January 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cullowhee, NC, 4.6 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 79 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28779
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 28779 is 5 miles from Cullowhee, NC, which stands at 2,192 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28779 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.