U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00093719 · North Carolina

Frost Dates near New Bern, NC

NOAA weather station New Bern Craven County Airport (USW00093719), North Carolina · elevation 19 ft (6 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

New Bern is the nearest town to the station (2.8 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season237 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near New Bern, NCSpring: a frost after March 6 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 15 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 237 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 15Frost season near New Bern, NCSpring: a frost after March 6 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 15 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 237 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 15
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 7November 1
50% (typical)March 23November 15
90% (likely)March 6December 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
237 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 12
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 25 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 13 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 235 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 near New Bern: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 7, 20% April 2, 30% March 30, 40% March 27, 50% March 23, 60% March 20, 70% March 17, 80% March 12, 90% March 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 29, 2023 March 21, 2024 February 22, 2025 March 4, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 7Mar 23Mar 62021: April 32022: March 292023: March 212024: February 222025: March 42026: March 18Fall near New Bern: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 1, 20% November 5, 30% November 8, 40% November 12, 50% November 15, 60% November 18, 70% November 21, 80% November 24, 90% December 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 23, 2022 November 18, 2023 November 29, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 1Nov 15Dec 12021: November 232022: November 182023: November 292024: November 302025: November 11
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 3November 23
2022March 29November 18
2023March 21November 29
2024February 22November 30
2025March 4November 11
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in the New Bern area is November 1, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived.

The 50 % light-frost dates are March 23 in spring and November 15 in fall; each marks the point at which the probability of a light frost is exactly 50 %. The 50 % hard-frost dates are March 12 and November 28. A hard frost (28 °F) is more damaging than a light frost because it reaches temperatures that can kill plant tissue rather than merely chill it.

For tender crops the cautious spring date is April 7, while the cautious fall date remains November 1; planting earlier in spring (March 6) or later in fall (December 1) carries a 90 % chance of encountering a light frost and is therefore a gamble.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 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 November 1" 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 New Bern, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Bayboro, NC — 14 mi; 2 — Greenville, NC — 44 mi; 3 — Williamston, NC — 54 mi; 4 — Plymouth, NC — 60 mi; 5 — Tarboro, NC — 63 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Bayboro, NC — 14 mi12. Greenville, NC — 44 mi23. Williamston, NC — 54 mi34. Plymouth, NC — 60 mi45. Tarboro, NC — 63 mi5
  1. Bayboro, NC 14 mi (22 km)
  2. Greenville, NC 44 mi (71 km)
  3. Williamston, NC 54 mi (87 km)
  4. Plymouth, NC 60 mi (96 km)
  5. Tarboro, NC 63 mi (101 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 35.0678, -77.0481.