Manteo, NC 27981 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Manteo, NC?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/15, about 199 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/06, about 266 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Manteo in Zone 9a (20 to 25°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 14 weeks of growing season left in Manteo before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/30 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Manteo compares
Manteo's growing season runs about 266 days, ranking 5,943 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 26 of 1,078.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Manteo's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Manteo can differ from the 27981 normal.