Durham, NC 27713 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Durham, NC?
Around 03/31 is the usual last spring frost, about 215 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/04, about 219 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Durham in Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Durham before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Durham's last frost
03/31 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Durham compares
Durham's growing season runs about 219 days, ranking 12,919 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 604 of 1,078.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Durham can differ from the 27713 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Durham's frost date answer different questions.