U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00317618 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Salisbury 9 WNW, NC

NOAA weather station Salisbury 9 WNW (USC00317618), North Carolina · elevation 725 ft (221 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season203 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Salisbury 9 WNW, NCSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 9 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 9First frost ~Oct 28Frost season at Salisbury 9 WNW, NCSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 9 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 9First frost ~Oct 28
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 24October 15
50% (typical)April 9October 28
90% (likely)March 24November 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
203 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 8 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (3 days later). Frost-free season 204 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 Salisbury 9 WNW: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 24, 20% April 19, 30% April 14, 40% April 11, 50% April 9, 60% April 5, 70% April 2, 80% March 31, 90% March 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 8, 2025 April 14, 2026 April 9.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 24Apr 9Mar 242021: April 232022: April 202023: April 102024: April 82025: April 142026: April 9Fall at Salisbury 9 WNW: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 15, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 28, 60% October 31, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 17, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 15Oct 28Nov 82021: November 52022: October 192023: November 22024: November 172025: 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 23November 5
2022April 20October 19
2023April 10November 2
2024April 8November 17
2025April 14November 11
2026April 9season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date for finishing the harvest at Salisbury 9 WNW is October 15, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived.

For a gardener, the 50 % dates—April 9 in spring and October 28 in fall—are the median points; April 9 carries a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, while October 28 carries a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. A cautious plan therefore uses April 24 as the reference to set out tender crops in spring, because only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains, and relies on October 15 in fall to finish harvesting tender crops before frost becomes more probable. A hard frost, defined at 28 °F, can injure or kill plants that would survive a 32 °F light frost, so it is a more critical 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 24" 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 15" 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 Salisbury 9 WNW, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Salisbury, NC — 8 mi; 2 — Statesville, NC — 16 mi; 3 — Concord, NC — 20 mi; 4 — Lexington, NC — 23 mi; 5 — near Charlotte, NC — 38 mi.SC25 mi · 40 km1. Salisbury, NC — 8 mi12. Statesville, NC — 16 mi23. Concord, NC — 20 mi34. Lexington, NC — 23 mi45. near Charlotte, NC — 38 mi5
  1. Salisbury, NC 8 mi (13 km)
  2. Statesville, NC 16 mi (26 km)
  3. Concord, NC 20 mi (32 km)
  4. Lexington, NC 23 mi (37 km)
  5. near Charlotte, NC 38 mi (61 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.6967, -80.6225.