USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28906 — Murphy, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Murphy 4ESE, NC (1,600 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Murphy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, Murphy 4ESE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 180 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 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 Murphy
Half of springs at Murphy 4ESE, NC see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% 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 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, shorter than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 200 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 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 12 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, 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 28906 →Compare Murphy with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Murphy
In Murphy, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 7 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 8, 154 days later; that gap is shorter than at 89% of the 172 North Carolina stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 30 days (April 7 to May 7) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 8 to November 2): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Hayesville 1 NE, NC, 16 miles east, the same gap runs from May 5 to October 9, 3 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 8 | 88% | 53% |
| Apr 15 | 70% | 35% |
| Apr 2250% date | 50% | 20% |
| Apr 29 | 32% | under 10% |
| May 6 | 12% | under 10% |
| May 13 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Murphy
July is the warmest month at Murphy 4ESE, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 25°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,839 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,412) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 772. Precipitation totals 59.5 inches a year, most in December (6.0") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 25 | 5.1 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
| Feb | 54 | 28 | 5.3 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 5.3 | 100% | 15 | 80 |
| Apr | 71 | 41 | 5.2 | 96% | 5 | 218 |
| May | 78 | 51 | 4.8 | 26% | <1 | 440 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 4.3 | 1% | 0 | 557 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 3.5 | 85% | 5 | 261 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 4.6 | 100% | 16 | 66 |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 6.0 | 100% | 21 | 24 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, NC (1,600 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, 16 miles east of Murphy and 192 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 21), a first frost 1 day later (October 21), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Murphy, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Murphy 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, 7 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 68 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28906
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 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 28906 is 7 miles from Murphy 4ESE, NC, which stands at 1,600 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28906 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.