U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00317656 · North Carolina

Frost Dates for Sanford, NC

NOAA weather station Sanford 8 NE (USC00317656), North Carolina · elevation 262 ft (80 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 25only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season203 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Sanford, NCSpring: a frost after March 26 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after April 25 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Oct 30Frost season at Sanford, NCSpring: a frost after March 26 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after April 25 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Oct 30
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 25October 15
50% (typical)April 10October 30
90% (likely)March 26November 12
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
203 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 9 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (2 days later). Frost-free season 206 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 Sanford: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 25, 20% April 19, 30% April 16, 40% April 13, 50% April 10, 60% April 6, 70% April 3, 80% March 31, 90% March 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 11, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 25Apr 10Mar 262021: April 232022: April 202023: April 112026: March 29Fall at Sanford: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 15, 20% October 21, 30% October 24, 40% October 27, 50% October 30, 60% November 1, 70% November 3, 80% November 6, 90% November 12. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 22, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 15Oct 30Nov 122021: November 52022: October 192023: November 22024: November 222025: 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 23November 5
2022April 20October 19
2023April 11November 2
2024incomplete recordNovember 22
2025incomplete recordNovember 11
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

For gardeners in Sanford, setting out tender crops on the early spring date of March 26 is a gamble, carrying a 90% chance of a light frost later that season. In contrast, the cautious spring date of April 25 marks the point at which only a 10% chance of a light frost remains. The 50% date is April 10; there is a 50% chance of a frost later than this date.

For the fall season, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 15, when the chance of a light frost earlier than that day has dropped to 10%. The 50% date is October 30; there is a 50% chance of a frost earlier than this date. A hard frost, defined at 28 °F, is more damaging than a light frost, and the median hard-frost dates are March 28 in spring and November 7 in fall.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 25" 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 Sanford, NCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dunn, NC — 25 mi; 2 — Chapel Hill, NC — 26 mi; 3 — near Raleigh, NC — 26 mi; 4 — Siler City, NC — 28 mi; 5 — Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC — 29 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Dunn, NC — 25 mi12. Chapel Hill, NC — 26 mi23. near Raleigh, NC — 26 mi34. Siler City, NC — 28 mi45. Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC — 29 mi5
  1. Dunn, NC 25 mi (40 km)
  2. Chapel Hill, NC 26 mi (42 km)
  3. near Raleigh, NC 26 mi (42 km)
  4. Siler City, NC 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Raleigh (Raleigh-Durham Airport), NC 29 mi (46 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: 35.5356, -79.0475.