Morganton, NC 28680 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Morganton, NC, ZIP 28680
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/31, roughly 215 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/04, about 219 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Morganton in Zone 7b (5 to 10°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 7b around Morganton has about 10 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/31 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Morganton compares
Morganton's growing season runs about 219 days, ranking 12,975 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NC, it ranks 612 of 1,078.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Morganton can differ from the 28680 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7b and Morganton's frost date answer different questions.