Frost dates North Carolina Durham

Frost dates in Durham, North Carolina

Last spring frost Apr 2 First fall frost Nov 4 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Durham is Apr 2 and the average first fall frost is Nov 4, measured at DURHAM, about 5 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 232°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostNov 432°F, 50% probability
Days between them216average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 15Nov 19
50%Apr 2Nov 4
10%Apr 18Oct 24

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 2, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 18. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 24.

Measured at: DURHAM, NC (NOAA station USC00312515), about 5 miles away at 400 ft, 16 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • RALEIGH DURHAM INTL AP, NC (NOAA station USW00013722), about 10 miles away at 416 ft, 29 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 31, first fall frost Nov 4
  • CHAPEL HILL WILLIAMS AP, NC (NOAA station USW00093785), about 10 miles away at 512 ft, 17 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 29, first fall frost Nov 5

Seed-starting schedule for Durham, NC

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 2 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Dec 2514 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekDec 25 to Jan 8
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionDec 25 to Jan 8
  2. Week of Jan 113 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 1 to Jan 8
  3. Week of Jan 812 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 8 to Jan 22
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 8 to Jan 22
  4. Week of Jan 2210 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 22 to Feb 5
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 22 to Feb 5
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 22 to Feb 5
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 22 to Feb 5
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 22 to Feb 5
  5. Week of Jan 299 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceJan 29 to Feb 5
  6. Week of Feb 58 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 5 to Feb 19
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 5 to Feb 19
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 5 to Feb 19
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 5 to Feb 19
  7. Week of Feb 127 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 12 to Feb 26
  8. Week of Feb 196 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 19 to Mar 5
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 19 to Mar 12
  9. Week of Mar 54 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 5 to Mar 19
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 5
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 5 to Mar 19
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 5 to Mar 19
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 5 to Mar 19
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 5
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 5
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 5
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 5
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 5 to Mar 12
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 5
  10. Week of Mar 123 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 12 to Mar 19
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 12 to Mar 19
  11. Week of Mar 192 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 19 to Mar 26
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 19
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 19
  12. Week of Apr 2Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 2
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 2
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 2
  13. Week of Apr 91 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 9 to Apr 16
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 9 to Apr 16
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 9 to Apr 16
  14. Week of Apr 162 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 16 to Apr 23
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 16
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 16

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in North Carolina

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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