Raeford, NC 28376 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Raeford, NC?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/03, roughly 218 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/03, about 214 frost-free days later.
Raeford sits in USDA Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 10 weeks of growing season left in Raeford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/03 isn't a guarantee
04/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Raeford compares
About 214 days separate Raeford's last and first frost, putting it 14,248 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NC, it ranks 718 of 1,078.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Raeford can differ from the 28376 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Raeford's frost date answer different questions.