Frost dates for Winston-Salem, North Carolina
In Winston-Salem, half of springs have had their last frost by March 26 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 11), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 9, leaving about 228 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
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Last spring frost
March 26
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 11: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 9
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 28.
Growing season
228 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 205.
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. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 3 in 7b and 5 in 8a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Winston Salem Rynlds Airport (3 miles away, at 970 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 26 and a typical first frost of November 9. NOAA's Pfafftown (7 miles away, at 950 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 9 and a typical first frost of October 31. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from March 26 to April 9 and the typical first frost from October 31 to November 9, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Winston-Salem
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 6 | March 26 | April 11 |
| First frost in fall | October 28 | November 9 | November 26 |
The frost-free season between them runs 228 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 253 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 205 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 13 and first on November 23. 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 9 and first on October 30. 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 Winston-Salem comes between March 6 and April 11, a window of 36 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, 78 percent have their typical last frost later than Winston-Salem does.
Planting calendar for Winston-Salem
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 8 to February 5 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 22 to February 19 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 5 to 26 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 12 to 26 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 19 to March 5 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 26 to March 12 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 26 to March 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 12 to 26 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 12 to 26 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 26 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 9 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 9 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 14 to 28 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 2 |
| July | ||
| July 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 22 |
| August | ||
| August 13 | 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 17 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 18 | 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 22 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 23 | 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 27 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 6 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 16 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 26 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 28 | 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 30 to December 7 | 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 16 days later. That plans around April 11, 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 Winston Salem Rynlds Airport (station USW00093807), 3 miles from the center of Winston-Salem. It sits at about the same elevation, 970 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Kernersville, Clemmons and Lewisville.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 11 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 27051, 27101, 27103, 27104, 27105, 27106, 27107, 27109, 27110, 27127, 27284. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Greensboro, North Carolina: last frost around March 30, first frost around November 5 (25 miles away)
- Concord, North Carolina: last frost around April 1, first frost around November 2 (55 miles away)
- Charlotte, North Carolina: last frost around March 30, first frost around November 3 (70 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.