Beaufort, NC 28531 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Beaufort, NC, ZIP 28531
Around 03/10 is the usual last spring frost, about 194 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/01, about 265 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Beaufort 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
Zone 9a around Beaufort has about 14 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 03/10 isn't a guarantee
03/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Beaufort compares
Beaufort's growing season runs about 265 days, ranking 5,985 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 31 of 1,078.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Beaufort's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Beaufort can differ from the 28531 normal.