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 28803
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 28803 in zone 7b (the coldest night of a typical year: 5 to 10°F).
The nearest station, Bent Creek, NC, is 5 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 26 in half of years and after May 12 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 7a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bent Creek, NC | 5 mi | 2,110 ft | April 26 | May 12 | October 18 | 7a |
| Asheville station, NC | 5 mi | 2,238 ft | April 6 | April 24 | October 31 | 7b |
| Asheville (8 mi SSW), NC | 6 mi | 2,151 ft | April 24 | May 11 | October 18 | – |
| Asheville, NCAsheville Regional Airport | 7 mi | 2,117 ft | April 9 | April 27 | October 28 | 7b |
| Enka, NC | 7 mi | 2,050 ft | April 12 | April 27 | October 23 | – |
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 Bent Creek
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) | May 22 | May 12 | May 6 | April 21 | October 9 | September 24 |
| 32°F | May 12 | May 2 | April 26 | April 10 | October 18 | October 5 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 30 | April 19 | April 12 | March 28 | October 28 | October 13 |
| 24°F | April 14 | April 4 | March 30 | March 13 | November 5 | October 25 |
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.