Frost dates for Durham 11 W, NC
At Durham 11 W, the median last spring frost (32°F) is Mar 31 and the median first fall frost is Nov 4, for a typical growing season of 217 days. For a 90% chance that the last frost has passed, wait until Apr 19. Nearby ZIP codes are in USDA hardiness zone 8a.
- Mar 31Last spring frost (median)50% chance of 32°F after this date
- Apr 19Safer planting date10% chance of 32°F after this date
- Nov 4First fall frost (median)50% chance of 32°F by this date
- 217 daysGrowing season (median)between 32°F freezes
Last spring frost dates
The chance that the temperature drops to the threshold after each date.
| Temperature | 90% chance later | 50% chance later | 10% chance later |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 15 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 31 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 19 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Mar 6 | Mar 24 |
First fall frost dates
The chance that the temperature has dropped to the threshold by each date.
| Temperature | 10% chance by | 50% chance by | 90% chance by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 26 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Nov 4 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 15 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Dec 1 | Dec 28 |
Growing season length
Days between the last spring and first fall freeze, as the length reached in 9, 5 and 1 out of 10 years.
| Temperature | 9 in 10 years at least | 5 in 10 years at least | 1 in 10 years at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 170 days | 193 days | 214 days |
| 32°F | 194 days | 217 days | 240 days |
| 28°F | 219 days | 244 days | 269 days |
| 24°F | 245 days | 275 days | 306 days |
Chance of a freeze in any year
| Temperature | Chance per year |
|---|---|
| 36°F | 100% |
| 32°F | 100% |
| 28°F | 100% |
| 24°F | 100% |
ZIP codes whose closest station is this one
| ZIP | Hardiness zone | Avg. extreme low | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27514 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 4 km |
Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones shown here are the values published in the USDA-ARS / Oregon State University PRISM Group 2023 ZIP code tables, shown unaltered. For the official interactive map, visit planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
About this station
- NOAA station ID USW00003758, at 35.9706, -79.0931, elevation 171 m (562 ft).
- Data quality: Representative (10+ years), 14 years of freeze data.
- Average days per year at or below 32°F: 71.
- Frost risk changes over short distances. Valleys and low spots freeze earlier than hillsides and city centers.
Nearby weather stations
- Chapel Hill Williams Airport (5 km)
- Chapel Hill 2 W (7 km)
- Cane Creek Rsvr (13 km)
- Durham (14 km)
- Haw River 1e (27 km)
- Chatham Water Plant (28 km)
- Raleigh Durham Intl Airport (29 km)
- Burlington Fire Station #5 (33 km)
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal normals by station (version 1.0.1), file dated June 27, 2023; documentation.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code tables (CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico), files dated November 17, 2023. Data © PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 1, 2026. Official map: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer ZIP Code Tabulation Areas file, dated August 30, 2024 (ZIP centroids used to find the nearest station).
Freeze dates are 30-year probabilities, not forecasts. Check your local forecast before planting tender plants.
All North Carolina stations · How frost dates are calculated