Frost dates for Charlotte, North Carolina
In Charlotte, half of springs have had their last frost by March 30 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 14), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 3, leaving about 221 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Charlotte, North Carolina
Last spring frost
March 30
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 14: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 3
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 22.
Growing season
221 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 201.
Hardiness zone
8a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 10°F to 15°F. On the 2012 map it was 7b, half a zone colder. All 16 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8a.
Print a year planner for Charlotte
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 12 | March 30 | April 14 |
| First frost in fall | October 22 | November 3 | November 17 |
The frost-free season between them runs 221 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 244 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 201 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 17 and first on November 14. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 11 and first on October 27. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Charlotte comes between March 12 and April 14, a window of 33 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among North Carolina's 187 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 60 percent have their typical last frost later than Charlotte does.
Planting calendar for Charlotte
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 12 to February 9 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 26 to February 23 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 9 to March 2 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 16 to March 2 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 23 to March 9 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 2 to 16 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 2 to 16 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 16 to 30 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 16 to 30 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 30 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 13 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 13 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 8 to 22 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 27 |
| June 28 to July 12 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 16 |
| August | ||
| August 7 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 11 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 12 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 16 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 17 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 21 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 31 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 10 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 20 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 22 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 21 to 28 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 15 days later. That plans around April 14, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Charlotte Douglas Airport (station USW00013881), 7 miles from the center of Charlotte. It sits at about the same elevation, 730 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Huntersville, Cornelius, Mount Holly, Davidson, Belmont and Pineville.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 25 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 28012, 28031, 28078, 28202, 28203, 28204, 28205, 28206, 28207, 28208, 28209, 28210, 28211, 28212, 28214, 28216, 28217, 28226, 28244, 28269, 28273, 28274, 28278, 28280, 28282. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Concord, North Carolina: last frost around April 1, first frost around November 2 (15 miles away)
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina: last frost around March 26, first frost around November 9 (70 miles away)
- Columbia, South Carolina: last frost around March 13, first frost around November 19 (80 miles away)
See frost dates across North Carolina, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.