USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28901 — Andrews, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Andrews, NC (1,749 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Andrews, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Andrews, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 189 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 16
- Last snow
- February 13
- Winters with snow
- 80%
- Snow per year
- 4.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Andrews
Half of springs at Andrews, 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 3. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 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 13 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 20 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Andrews, 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 28901 →Compare Andrews with another place →
Weather by month in Andrews
July is the warmest month at Andrews, NC, averaging 86°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 27°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 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,775 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,379) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 753.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
| Feb | 54 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 17 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 99% | 14 | 77 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 89% | 6 | 204 |
| May | 77 | 51 | 13% | <1 | 436 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Jul | 86 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Aug | 86 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 79% | 4 | 268 |
| Nov | 61 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 72 |
| Dec | 53 | 29 | 100% | 22 | 18 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Andrews, NC (1,749 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, Hayesville 1 NE, NC, 10 miles south of Andrews, has a last frost 4 days later (April 21), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 21), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Andrews, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Andrews usually arrives around January 16, and the last of the season around February 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, NC, 12.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 80% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 63 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28901
| 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 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 28901 is 1 mile from Andrews, NC, which stands at 1,749 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28901 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.