Beaufort, NC 28511 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Beaufort, NC?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/11, about 195 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/30, about 261 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Beaufort in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 13 weeks of growing season left in Beaufort 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
03/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/19 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 Beaufort compares
Beaufort's growing season runs about 261 days, ranking 6,402 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 35 of 1,078.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Beaufort's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Beaufort can differ from the 28511 normal.