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 28543
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 28543 in zone 8b (the coldest night of a typical year: 15 to 20°F).
The nearest station, New River McAf, NC, is 3 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 23 in half of years and after April 7 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8b.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New River McAf, NC | 3 mi | 26 ft | March 23 | April 7 | November 16 | 8b |
| Jacksonville, NCJacksonville Eoc | 4 mi | 17 ft | March 31 | April 15 | November 8 | – |
| Hofmann Forest, NC | 9 mi | 47 ft | April 6 | April 23 | November 1 | – |
| Richlands, NC | 15 mi | 20 ft | April 5 | April 20 | November 4 | – |
| Surf City, NC | 22 mi | 24 ft | March 26 | April 9 | November 13 | – |
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 New River McAf
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 17 | April 8 | April 2 | March 16 | November 5 | October 22 |
| 32°F | April 7 | March 31 | March 23 | March 2 | November 16 | November 1 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 29 | March 18 | March 8 | February 12 | December 1 | November 11 |
| 24°F | March 16 | February 28 | February 16 | January 20 | December 22 | November 23 |
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.