Frost dates for Wilmington, North Carolina
In Wilmington, half of springs have had their last frost by March 19 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 4), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 20, leaving about 247 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
Wilmington, North Carolina
Last spring frost
March 19
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 4: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 20
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 5.
Growing season
247 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 223.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. On the 2012 map it was 8a, half a zone colder. All 5 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8b.
Print a year planner for Wilmington
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 | February 26 | March 19 | April 4 |
| First frost in fall | November 5 | November 20 | December 6 |
The frost-free season between them runs 247 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 274 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 223 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 2 and first on December 3. 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 March 30 and first on November 8. 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 Wilmington comes between February 26 and April 4, a window of 37 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among North Carolina's 187 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 93 percent have their typical last frost later than Wilmington does.
Planting calendar for Wilmington
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.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 1 to 29 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 15 to February 12 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 29 to February 19 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 5 to 19 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 12 to 26 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 19 to March 5 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 19 to March 5 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 5 to 19 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 5 to 19 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 19 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 2 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 2 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 25 to July 9 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 13 |
| July | ||
| July 15 to 29 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 2 |
| August | ||
| August 24 | 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 28 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 29 | 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 |
| September | ||
| September 2 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 3 | 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 |
| September 7 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 27 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 5 | 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 |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 16 days later. That plans around April 4, 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 Wilmington International Airport (station USW00013748), 4 miles from the center of Wilmington. It sits at about the same elevation, 30 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 Leland.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 4 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 28403, 28405, 28411, 28451. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Fayetteville, North Carolina: last frost around March 22, first frost around November 13 (85 miles away)
- Raleigh, North Carolina: last frost around March 31, first frost around November 4 (120 miles away)
- Charleston, South Carolina: frost not every year (155 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.