Frost dates / North Carolina / Burlington

Frost dates in Burlington, NC

The station on this page is BURLINGTON FIRE STN #5, NC US (USC00311239), 1.6 miles from the city point. Population in the Census 2024 estimate is 61,365.

Zone 8aUSDA average annual extreme minimum 10°F to 15°F, from ZIP 27201 (3 miles from the city point used on this page).

Median last 32°F is March 29. Median first 32°F is November 9. The 50% growing-season length is 226 days. The green band runs from the median last frost to the median first frost. Thin ticks mark the 10%, 50%, and 90% dates.

Outside the median season Growing seasonTicks: 10%, 50%, and 90%

Last 32°F in spring

NCEI’s probability is the chance the last spring minimum of 32°F or lower occurs on or after the date.

ProbabilityDateHow to read it
90%March 8Earlier date. A last 32°F on or after this day is common.
50%March 29Median.
10%April 15Later date. A last 32°F on or after this day is uncommon.

First 32°F in fall

NCEI’s probability is the chance the first autumn minimum of 32°F or lower occurs on or before the date.

ProbabilityDateHow to read it
10%October 26Earlier date. A first 32°F on or before this day is uncommon.
50%November 9Median.
90%November 25Later date. A first 32°F on or before this day is common.

32°F growing-season length

Days between the last spring 32°F and the first autumn 32°F. The figure is a length the season meets or exceeds at that probability, from NCEI, not a subtraction done on this site.

Probability the season is at least this longDays
10%253
50%226
90%200

28°F threshold

10%50%90%
Last, on or afterApril 3March 15February 22
First, on or beforeNovember 6November 23December 14
Season at least284 days255 days225 days

36°F threshold

10%50%90%
Last, on or afterMay 2April 10March 25
First, on or beforeOctober 17October 30November 10
Season at least224 days203 days179 days

Station BURLINGTON FIRE STN #5, NC US (USC00311239). Completeness flag R, 20 years used for the 32°F dates. NCEI’s annual probability of at least one day at or below 32°F is 100%. Freeze dates are conditional on that threshold occurring. Elevation 201.2 m. The same probability language applies to the 28°F and 36°F rows when those dates passed the same quality checks.

Planting calendar for Burlington · Zone 8a

Check a crop against this station

Burlington, NC

Zone 8aAverage annual extreme minimum 10°F to 15°F

Median last 32°F is March 29. Median first 32°F is November 9. The 50% growing-season length is 226 days. The green band runs from the median last frost to the median first frost. Thin ticks mark the 10%, 50%, and 90% dates.

Outside the median season Growing seasonTicks: 10%, 50%, and 90%

North Carolina. Nearest qualified station: BURLINGTON FIRE STN #5, NC US (USC00311239), 1.6 miles. Median last 32°F March 29. Median first 32°F November 9. The 50% growing-season length is 226 days.

Open the ZIP page · Crop guides for North Carolina

32°F probabilities at this station
10%50%90%
Last 32°F on or afterApril 15March 29March 8
First 32°F on or beforeOctober 26November 9November 25

Column order matches the NCEI file: for the last freeze, 10% is the later date and 90% is the earlier date. How to read the probabilities.

A wall calendar surrounded by vegetables, herbs, seed packets, and watering cans.

Planting calendar

Windows below are from NC State Extension, Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs, retrieved 2026-10-10. Eastern, central, and western North Carolina are separate calendars. The publications do not define those regions by county. The eastern calendar says gardeners at the coast can plant up to two weeks earlier in the spring and two weeks later in the fall. That sentence is not turned into new dates. Half-month cells that carry the same mark are read as one run. A mark at both the start and the end of the year is one window that crosses New Year’s. Each region links to its own publication.

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