U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00313638 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Greenville, NC

NOAA weather station Greenville (USC00313638), North Carolina · elevation 32 ft (10 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season227 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Greenville, NCSpring: a frost after March 8 in 9 years out of 10, after March 27 in half of the years, after April 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 8 in half of the years, before November 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 227 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 27First frost ~Nov 8Frost season at Greenville, NCSpring: a frost after March 8 in 9 years out of 10, after March 27 in half of the years, after April 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 8 in half of the years, before November 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 227 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 27First frost ~Nov 8
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 10October 26
50% (typical)March 27November 8
90% (likely)March 8November 24
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
227 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 13
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 22

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 27 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9 (1 day later). Frost-free season 228 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 at Greenville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 10, 20% April 5, 30% April 2, 40% March 31, 50% March 27, 60% March 23, 70% March 20, 80% March 15, 90% March 8. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 21, 2024 February 22, 2025 March 3, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 10Mar 27Mar 82021: April 32022: April 102023: March 212024: February 222025: March 32026: March 29Fall at Greenville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 26, 20% October 31, 30% November 3, 40% November 5, 50% November 8, 60% November 11, 70% November 14, 80% November 19, 90% November 24. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 16, 2022 November 18, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 18.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 26Nov 8Nov 242021: November 162022: November 182023: November 22024: November 302025: November 18
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 3November 16
2022April 10November 18
2023March 21November 2
2024February 22November 30
2025March 3November 18
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 10, the 10 % chance light-frost date, is the cautious spring date that lets gardeners set out tender crops. Planting after this date means only a low likelihood that a light frost will still occur.

The 50 % light-frost dates are March 27 in spring and November 8 in fall; at each point the odds of a frost occurring on the opposite side of the date are even. The cautious fall date is October 26, when there is a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, so finishing tender-crop harvest by then minimizes risk.

Hard frosts at 28 °F can cause more severe damage than light frosts at 32 °F, making the median hard-frost dates of March 13 and November 22 useful reference points for gardeners in Greenville.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 10" 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 26" 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 Greenville, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Tarboro, NC — 19 mi; 2 — Williamston, NC — 25 mi; 3 — Wilson, NC — 31 mi; 4 — near New Bern, NC — 44 mi; 5 — Plymouth, NC — 44 mi.NC25 mi · 40 km1. Tarboro, NC — 19 mi12. Williamston, NC — 25 mi23. Wilson, NC — 31 mi34. near New Bern, NC — 44 mi45. Plymouth, NC — 44 mi5
  1. Tarboro, NC 19 mi (30 km)
  2. Williamston, NC 25 mi (41 km)
  3. Wilson, NC 31 mi (50 km)
  4. near New Bern, NC 44 mi (71 km)
  5. Plymouth, NC 44 mi (72 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 35.64, -77.3983.