U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00314970 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Lexington, NC

NOAA weather station Lexington (USC00314970), North Carolina · elevation 760 ft (232 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 26only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season199 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Lexington, NCSpring: a frost after March 28 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 28Frost season at Lexington, NCSpring: a frost after March 28 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 28
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.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 26October 14
50% (typical)April 11October 28
90% (likely)March 28November 7
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
199 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 30
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 8 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (4 days later). Frost-free season 205 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 Lexington: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 26, 20% April 21, 30% April 17, 40% April 14, 50% April 11, 60% April 8, 70% April 5, 80% April 1, 90% March 28. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 6.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 26Apr 11Mar 282021: April 242022: April 202023: April 102024: April 6Fall at Lexington: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 14, 20% October 18, 30% October 22, 40% October 25, 50% October 28, 60% October 30, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 7. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 11, 2023 October 8, 2024 November 21.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 14Oct 28Nov 72021: November 52022: October 112023: October 82024: November 21
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 24November 5
2022April 20October 11
2023April 10October 8
2024April 6November 21
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of March 28 in Lexington carries a 90 % chance of a frost later, so it is a gamble for gardeners. By contrast, the cautious spring date of April 26 has only a 10 % chance of a frost later, making it the reference with the lower frost risk for timing the first planting.

The 50% date for light frost in spring, April 11, marks the point where a frost is equally likely to occur later than this date. In fall, the 50% date of October 28 marks the point where a frost is equally likely to occur earlier than this date. For finishing tender crops in the autumn, the cautious date is October 14, when there is only a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived. Hard-frost milestones, March 30 in spring and November 5 in fall, are the 50 % dates for temperatures reaching 28 °F, and a hard frost can injure plants that survive a light frost, so it represents a greater risk.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 26" 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 14" 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 Lexington, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Salisbury, NC — 17 mi; 2 — Salisbury 9 WNW, NC — 23 mi; 3 — near Greensboro, NC — 25 mi; 4 — Asheboro, NC — 25 mi; 5 — Statesville, NC — 35 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Salisbury, NC — 17 mi12. Salisbury 9 WNW, NC — 23 mi23. near Greensboro, NC — 25 mi34. Asheboro, NC — 25 mi45. Statesville, NC — 35 mi5
  1. Salisbury, NC 17 mi (27 km)
  2. Salisbury 9 WNW, NC 23 mi (37 km)
  3. near Greensboro, NC 25 mi (40 km)
  4. Asheboro, NC 25 mi (41 km)
  5. Statesville, NC 35 mi (56 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.8456, -80.26.