Raleigh, NC 27523 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Raleigh, NC?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/28, about 212 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/08, about 229 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Raleigh, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Raleigh before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/28 isn't a guarantee
03/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/08 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Raleigh compares
About 229 days separate Raleigh's last and first frost, putting it 10,498 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NC, it ranks 239 of 1,078.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Raleigh's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Raleigh can differ from the 27523 normal.