U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00319476 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Wilson, NC

NOAA weather station Wilson 3 SW (USC00319476), North Carolina · elevation 110 ft (34 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season236 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Wilson, NCSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 236 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 12Frost season at Wilson, NCSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 236 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 12
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 8November 1
50% (typical)March 22November 12
90% (likely)March 3December 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
236 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 7
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 22 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 12. Frost-free season 234 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 Wilson: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 8, 20% April 2, 30% March 30, 40% March 26, 50% March 22, 60% March 18, 70% March 15, 80% March 11, 90% March 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 30, 2023 March 21, 2024 February 22, 2025 March 4, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 8Mar 22Mar 32021: April 32022: March 302023: March 212024: February 222025: March 42026: March 29Fall at Wilson: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 1, 20% November 4, 30% November 6, 40% November 9, 50% November 12, 60% November 15, 70% November 19, 80% November 25, 90% December 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 16, 2022 November 18, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 14.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 1Nov 12Dec 12021: November 162022: November 182023: November 22024: November 302025: November 14
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
2022March 30November 18
2023March 21November 2
2024February 22November 30
2025March 4November 14
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 8 is the cautious spring date in Wilson; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost after that day, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops with minimal risk.

The median light-frost dates are March 22 and November 12; each marks a 50 % chance of a frost later (spring) or earlier (fall). A 50 % chance indicates equal odds of frost occurring on either side of the date. The interval between the two 32 °F 50 % dates spans 236 days, defining the length of the period with roughly equal frost risk at each end.

For a cautious fall schedule, November 1 is the date with a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, signaling when to finish harvesting tender crops. Hard frost at 28 °F—marked by the median dates March 7 and November 26—poses a greater threat because temperatures that low can damage plant tissue that survives a light frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 8" 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 November 1" 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 Wilson, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Tarboro, NC — 26 mi; 2 — Greenville, NC — 31 mi; 3 — near Raleigh, NC — 43 mi; 4 — Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC — 49 mi; 5 — Dunn, NC — 49 mi.NC25 mi · 40 km1. Tarboro, NC — 26 mi12. Greenville, NC — 31 mi23. near Raleigh, NC — 43 mi34. Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC — 49 mi45. Dunn, NC — 49 mi5
  1. Tarboro, NC 26 mi (42 km)
  2. Greenville, NC 31 mi (50 km)
  3. near Raleigh, NC 43 mi (69 km)
  4. Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC 49 mi (79 km)
  5. Dunn, NC 49 mi (79 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: 35.6939, -77.9461.