Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Roanoke Rapids, NC, ZIP 27870
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/31, about 215 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/09, about 222 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Roanoke Rapids 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
Zone 8a around Roanoke Rapids has about 10 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 03/31 isn't a guarantee
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 Roanoke Rapids compares
About 222 days separate Roanoke Rapids's last and first frost, putting it 12,232 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NC, it ranks 456 of 1,078.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Roanoke Rapids can differ from the 27870 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 8a and Roanoke Rapids's frost date answer different questions.