Beaufort, NC 28577 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.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 Beaufort, not a forecast for this year.
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.
Why 03/11 isn't a guarantee
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 6,403 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 36 of 1,078.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Beaufort can differ from the 28577 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Beaufort's frost date answer different questions.