U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00312200 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Cullowhee, NC

NOAA weather station Cullowhee (USC00312200), North Carolina · elevation 2192 ft (668 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season184 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Cullowhee, NCSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 9 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 184 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 22Frost season at Cullowhee, NCSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 9 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 184 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 22
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.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 7October 9
50% (typical)April 19October 22
90% (likely)April 2November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
184 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 5
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 16 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (3 days later). Frost-free season 192 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 Cullowhee: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 7, 20% May 1, 30% April 26, 40% April 22, 50% April 19, 60% April 16, 70% April 13, 80% April 9, 90% April 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 21, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 8, 2025 April 14, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 7Apr 19Apr 22021: April 232022: April 212023: April 262024: April 82025: April 142026: April 21Fall at Cullowhee: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 9, 20% October 13, 30% October 16, 40% October 19, 50% October 22, 60% October 25, 70% October 29, 80% November 1, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 28, 2022 October 18, 2023 October 8, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 9Oct 22Nov 42021: October 282022: October 182023: October 82024: October 172025: October 24
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 23October 28
2022April 21October 18
2023April 26October 8
2024April 8October 17
2025April 14October 24
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 184 days between the 32°F 50% dates of April 19 and October 22 in Cullowhee frame the period in which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, giving gardeners a clear mid-season window. The median dates themselves are not frost dates; they simply mark the point of even odds. Hard-frost (28°F) median dates fall on April 5 in spring and November 1 in fall, indicating when the chance of a damaging freeze reaches 50 %.

For a cautious spring plan, the 10 % chance date of May 7 is used to set out tender crops, while the cautious fall date is October 9, when only a 10 % chance of a light frost has arrived. A hard frost at 28°F can injure or kill plants that would otherwise survive a light frost at 32°F, so the hard-frost dates are especially important for protecting sensitive vegetation.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 7" 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 October 9" 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 Cullowhee, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Franklin, NC — 15 mi; 2 — Waynesville, NC — 17 mi; 3 — Highlands, NC — 18 mi; 4 — Brevard, NC — 25 mi; 5 — Mount Leconte, TN — 28 mi.NCTNSCGA25 mi · 40 km1. Franklin, NC — 15 mi12. Waynesville, NC — 17 mi23. Highlands, NC — 18 mi34. Brevard, NC — 25 mi45. Mount Leconte, TN — 28 mi5
  1. Franklin, NC 15 mi (25 km)
  2. Waynesville, NC 17 mi (27 km)
  3. Highlands, NC 18 mi (28 km)
  4. Brevard, NC 25 mi (41 km)
  5. Mount Leconte, TN 28 mi (45 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.3117, -83.1747.