What USDA zone is Wilson, NC?

The zone on this page is 8a, from ZIP 27893 in the 2023 PRISM table of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. That ZIP is 3 miles from the city point. USDA defines the zone as the average annual extreme minimum, shown here as 10°F to 15°F. It is a winter-cold band, not a frost date and not a forecast.

How far away is the weather station?

The station named on this page is 2.7 miles from the city point in a straight line. Frost dates are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for that instrument. They are not a National Weather Service forecast for one night, and they are not the temperature in every yard. The page names the station so the miles stay attached to the dates.

Frost dates in Wilson, NC

Direct answer. In Wilson, NC, the nearest qualified NOAA station is WILSON 3 SW, NC US (USC00319476), 2.7 miles from the city point. The median last 32°F date is March 22, and the median first 32°F date is November 12, from the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals. The 2023 USDA zone is 8a (10°F to 15°F), from ZIP 27893 in the PRISM table, 3 miles from the same city point.

Population in the Census 2024 estimate is 48,579. The station is WILSON 3 SW, NC US (USC00319476).

Zone 8aUSDA average annual extreme minimum 10°F to 15°F, from ZIP 27893 (3 miles from the city point used on this page).

Median last 32°F is March 22. Median first 32°F is November 12. The 50% growing-season length is 236 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.

Probability	Date	How to read it
90%	March 3	Earlier date. A last 32°F on or after this day is common.
50%	March 22	Median.
10%	April 8	Later 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.

Probability	Date	How to read it
10%	November 1	Earlier date. A first 32°F on or before this day is uncommon.
50%	November 12	Median.
90%	December 1	Later 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 long	Days
10%	263
50%	236
90%	213

28°F threshold

	10%	50%	90%
Last, on or after	March 27	March 7	February 12
First, on or before	November 9	November 26	December 20
Season at least	295 days	265 days	236 days

36°F threshold

	10%	50%	90%
Last, on or after	April 16	April 3	March 19
First, on or before	October 21	November 2	November 16
Season at least	234 days	213 days	194 days

Station WILSON 3 SW, NC US (USC00319476). Completeness flag S, 27 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 33.5 m. The same probability language applies to the 28°F and 36°F rows when those dates passed the same quality checks.

Questions

When is the last spring frost in Wilson, NC?: The median last 32°F date at the station on this page is March 22. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals give a 50% chance the last spring minimum of 32°F or lower occurs on or after that date. The 90% date is March 3. The 10% date, the later one, is April 8. These are normals, not a forecast for this spring.
What USDA zone is Wilson, NC?: The zone on this page is 8a, from ZIP 27893 in the 2023 PRISM table of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. That ZIP is 3 miles from the city point. USDA defines the zone as the average annual extreme minimum, shown here as 10°F to 15°F. It is a winter-cold band, not a frost date and not a forecast.
How far away is the weather station?: The station named on this page is 2.7 miles from the city point in a straight line. Frost dates are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for that instrument. They are not a National Weather Service forecast for one night, and they are not the temperature in every yard. The page names the station so the miles stay attached to the dates.

Planting calendar for Wilson · Zone 8a

Check a crop against this station

Wilson, NC

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

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

North Carolina. Nearest qualified station: WILSON 3 SW, NC US (USC00319476), 2.7 miles. Median last 32°F March 22. Median first 32°F November 12. The 50% growing-season length is 236 days.

Open the ZIP page · Crop guides for North Carolina

32°F probabilities at this station

	10%	50%	90%
Last 32°F on or after	April 8	March 22	March 3
First 32°F on or before	November 1	November 12	December 1

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.

Crop

Date checks use your device’s calendar and appear after the page loads.