USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28789 — Whittier, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cherokee, NC (1,965 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Whittier, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Cherokee, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 186 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
- January 7
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 81%
- Snow per year
- 6.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Whittier
Half of springs at Cherokee, NC see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 19 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 122 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 April 30, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 8 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cherokee, 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 28789 →Compare Whittier with another place →
Weather by month in Whittier
July is the warmest month at Cherokee, NC, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°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 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,430 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,275) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 705. Precipitation totals 56.6 inches a year, most in March (5.8") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 4.7 | 100% | 25 | 8 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 5.0 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 5.8 | 100% | 18 | 61 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 4.9 | 89% | 7 | 199 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 4.7 | 17% | 1 | 406 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 4.0 | 3% | 1 | 494 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.1 | 79% | 7 | 219 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 19 | 50 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 5.7 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cherokee, NC (1,965 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, Bryson City 4, NC, 9 miles west of Whittier, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 16), a first frost 3 days later (October 24), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Whittier, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Whittier usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cherokee, NC, 5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 81% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28789
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 28789 is 5 miles from Cherokee, NC, which stands at 1,965 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 28719 (Cherokee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28789 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.