Ruth, NC 28167 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ruth, NC?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/11, roughly 226 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 198 frost-free days later.
Ruth sits in USDA Zone 7b (5 to 10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Ruth before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/11 isn't a guarantee
04/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/28 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ruth compares
About 198 days separate Ruth's last and first frost, putting it 18,523 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NC, it ranks 911 of 1,078.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7b and Ruth's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Ruth's dates instead of trusting one.