U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00314996 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Lincolnton, NC

NOAA weather station Lincolnton 4 W (USC00314996), North Carolina · elevation 887 ft (270 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 27only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season201 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Lincolnton, NCSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 9 in half of the years, after April 27 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 201 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 9First frost ~Oct 28Frost season at Lincolnton, NCSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 9 in half of the years, after April 27 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 201 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 9First 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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 27October 15
50% (typical)April 9October 28
90% (likely)March 24November 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
201 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 27
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 11 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 30 (2 days later). Frost-free season 202 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 Lincolnton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 27, 20% April 21, 30% April 17, 40% April 13, 50% April 9, 60% April 6, 70% April 2, 80% March 30, 90% March 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 11, 2024 April 7, 2025 April 13, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 27Apr 9Mar 242021: April 232022: April 202023: April 112024: April 72025: April 132026: March 29Fall at Lincolnton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 15, 20% October 19, 30% October 22, 40% October 25, 50% October 28, 60% October 30, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 2, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 15Oct 28Nov 82021: November 52022: October 192023: November 22024: October 172025: November 1
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 23November 5
2022April 20October 19
2023April 11November 2
2024April 7October 17
2025April 13November 1
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 15 is the cautious fall date in Lincolnton for finishing the harvest, carrying only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier.

The 50 % dates—April 9 in spring and October 28 in fall—mark the points at which a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after, giving a median reference for timing. The median hard-frost dates are March 27 and November 6, indicating when a temperature of 28 °F has an even chance of being reached. For a cautious plan, tender crops are set out after the April 27 spring date (10 % chance of a later light frost) and harvested before the October 15 fall date.

A hard frost at 28 °F can damage or kill plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, so its occurrence is more critical for growers.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 27" 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 15" 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 Lincolnton, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Shelby, NC — 17 mi; 2 — near Hickory, NC — 20 mi; 3 — near Charlotte, NC — 27 mi; 4 — near Gaffney, SC — 31 mi; 5 — Lenoir, NC — 33 mi.NCSCTN25 mi · 40 km1. Shelby, NC — 17 mi12. near Hickory, NC — 20 mi23. near Charlotte, NC — 27 mi34. near Gaffney, SC — 31 mi45. Lenoir, NC — 33 mi5
  1. Shelby, NC 17 mi (27 km)
  2. near Hickory, NC 20 mi (32 km)
  3. near Charlotte, NC 27 mi (43 km)
  4. near Gaffney, SC 31 mi (50 km)
  5. Lenoir, NC 33 mi (54 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: 35.4606, -81.3297.