Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 27603
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 27603 in zone 8a (the coldest night of a typical year: 10 to 15°F).
The nearest station, Garner, NC, is 1 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 1 in half of years and after April 15 in one year in ten.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garner, NC | 1 mi | 330 ft | April 1 | April 15 | November 1 | – |
| Raleigh (4 mi SW), NC | 5 mi | 420 ft | March 28 | April 12 | November 9 | 8a |
| Cary, NC | 8 mi | 390 ft | March 31 | April 12 | November 10 | 8a |
| Raleigh State University, NC | 9 mi | 400 ft | March 28 | April 12 | November 8 | 8a |
| Clayton, NCClayton Water Treatment Plant | 11 mi | 300 ft | April 7 | April 20 | November 3 | 8a |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Garner
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | April 30 | April 20 | April 13 | March 31 | October 23 | October 12 |
| 32°F | April 15 | April 6 | April 1 | March 17 | November 1 | October 19 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 5 | March 29 | March 22 | March 4 | November 10 | October 28 |
| 24°F | March 27 | March 18 | March 10 | February 16 | November 26 | November 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.