Charlotte, NC 28256 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Charlotte, NC?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/30, about 214 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/03, about 221 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 Charlotte, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Charlotte before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Charlotte's last frost
03/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Charlotte compares
Charlotte's growing season runs about 221 days, ranking 12,406 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 504 of 1,078.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Charlotte's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Charlotte's dates instead of trusting one.