U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00313017 · North Carolina

Frost Dates near Fayetteville, NC

NOAA weather station Fayetteville (PWC) (USC00313017), North Carolina · elevation 96 ft (29 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

Fayetteville is the nearest town to the station (1.2 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 3050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season227 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Fayetteville, NCSpring: a frost after March 9 in 9 years out of 10, after March 30 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 29 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 227 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 30First frost ~Nov 10Frost season near Fayetteville, NCSpring: a frost after March 9 in 9 years out of 10, after March 30 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 29 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 227 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 30First frost ~Nov 10
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 16October 28
50% (typical)March 30November 10
90% (likely)March 9November 29
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
227 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 23

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 31 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 223 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Fayetteville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 16, 20% April 9, 30% April 5, 40% April 2, 50% March 30, 60% March 26, 70% March 22, 80% March 17, 90% March 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 March 29, 2023 March 21, 2024 February 23, 2025 March 7, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 16Mar 30Mar 92021: April 42022: March 292023: March 212024: February 232025: March 72026: March 29Fall near Fayetteville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 28, 20% November 1, 30% November 4, 40% November 7, 50% November 10, 60% November 13, 70% November 17, 80% November 22, 90% November 29. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 20, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 28Nov 10Nov 292022: October 202024: November 302025: November 11
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 4incomplete record
2022March 29October 20
2023March 21incomplete record
2024February 23November 30
2025March 7November 11
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 227 days between the 32°F 50% dates of March 30 and November 10 define the window in which most tender crops can be grown in the Fayetteville area. The median dates give a 50 % chance of a light frost occurring after March 30 in spring and before November 10 in fall, so they mark the midpoint of frost risk for a gardener.

For a cautious plan, the spring light-frost date of April 16 (10 % chance of a later frost) marks when tender crops can be set out with low risk, while the fall light-frost date of October 28 (10 % chance of an earlier frost) signals when harvesting should be finished to avoid damage. Planting on March 9 or persisting until November 29 carries a 90 % chance of frost and is a gamble.

The hard-frost 28°F median dates are March 16 and November 23; a hard frost can damage or kill plants that survive a light frost, making it a more severe threat.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 16" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 28" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Fayetteville, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dunn, NC — 21 mi; 2 — Lumberton, NC — 31 mi; 3 — Sanford, NC — 35 mi; 4 — Laurinburg, NC — 41 mi; 5 — near Raleigh, NC — 51 mi.NCSC25 mi · 40 km1. Dunn, NC — 21 mi12. Lumberton, NC — 31 mi23. Sanford, NC — 35 mi34. Laurinburg, NC — 41 mi45. near Raleigh, NC — 51 mi5
  1. Dunn, NC 21 mi (33 km)
  2. Lumberton, NC 31 mi (50 km)
  3. Sanford, NC 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Laurinburg, NC 41 mi (65 km)
  5. near Raleigh, NC 51 mi (83 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.0592, -78.8589.