Charlotte, North Carolina Frost Dates, Growing Season & Hardiness Zone

When is the last frost in Charlotte?

The typical last 32°F night is Mar 30, and in 1 year out of 10 a freeze still comes after Apr 14. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically last longer, to around Apr 11. The last hard freeze (28°F) typically comes earlier, around Mar 17.

Charlotte has a long late-frost tail: 15 days separate the typical date (Mar 30) from the safer 1-in-10 date (Apr 14). If tender plants go out early, be ready to protect them on cold nights.

The typical last 36°F night (frost possible on plants in low spots) comes around Apr 11, 12 days after the typical last 32°F night. On clear, calm nights, frost can form on leaves even when the thermometer reads above freezing.

Is it too early to plant in Charlotte?

Before Mar 30 the odds of another 32°F night are better than even; after Apr 14 they are about 1 in 10 or less.

Today's risk is computed in your browser from the same NOAA probability table, shown as the range between the two nearest NOAA probability levels.

When is the first frost in Charlotte?

The typical first fall freeze (32°F) comes by Nov 3, but 1 year in 10 it shows up as early as Oct 22. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically start around Oct 27, and the first hard freeze (28°F) typically comes around Nov 14.

For fall crops, count back from Nov 3, or from Oct 22 to be safe. Our planting calendar does the math for each crop.

How long is Charlotte's growing season?

In a typical year, Charlotte gets 221 days between the last and first 32°F nights. About 1 year in 10, the season is shorter than 201 days.

Most warm-season vegetables have time to finish if you plant on schedule. For long-season crops, transplants do best.

Each year the station logs an average of 5,035 growing degree days (base 50°F), a measure of the heat available for crop growth.

How does Charlotte's season compare?

Among the 56 U.S. cities with frost dates on this site, the typical frost-free season here is longer than in 32 of them and shorter than in 23.

Growing degree days (base 50°F)

Annual normal: 5,035 GDD (NOAA flag S, 27 years). Running total by the end of each month (sum of NOAA daily GDD normals, so the year-end total can differ slightly from the annual normal):

What growing zone is Charlotte? (USDA 2023)

On the 2023 USDA map, Charlotte is zone 8a (10 to 15°F average coldest winter night). On the 2012 map, most of the city was 7b. Of the 29 city ZIPs listed in both tables, 20 moved up half a zone.

Zones: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 2026-10-08. Shown as published in the ZIP tables; this page does not show a zone map. Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (official map: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov).

Does the new zone change Charlotte's frost dates?

No. Zones describe only how cold the coldest winter night gets on average. They don't tell you when frost starts or stops. The frost dates for Charlotte come from NOAA's 1991–2020 frost probabilities, which the 2023 zone map left untouched. Choose winter-hardy perennials by zone, and schedule planting by frost dates.

Why do Charlotte frost dates differ between websites?

You may see Apr 5 given as Charlotte's last frost date. That's the 30%-risk date, meaning about 3 years in 10 still have a 32°F night after it. Our headline date is Mar 30, the 50% (median) date.

Apr 14 is the date we call 'safer': it's the 10%-risk date, with a 32°F night after it in only about 1 year in 10.

You may also see Apr 11. That's the 50% date for a 36°F night (frost possible on plants) rather than a 32°F freeze, so sites using 36°F as their cutoff list later dates.

Station choice is another reason dates differ. Our 8 qualifying stations within 25 miles of the city center range from Mar 24 to Apr 3 for the typical (50%) last 32°F frost (table below).

Which weather station is this based on?

Station

Charlotte Douglas Airport (NOAA USW00013881, WBAN/ASOS-AWOS)

Distance

7.1 mi W of the city center

Elevation

728 ft; city center 674 ft (USGS), difference +54 ft

Record

NOAA completeness flag S, 28 of 30 years (1991–2020)

Confidence

High (rule)

Confidence: High. The station is 7.1 miles from the city center, only 54 ft different in elevation, and its frost statistics meet our completeness rule (NOAA flag S, 28 of 30 years).

Charlotte planting dates at a glance

Balanced dates use the 30%-risk last-frost date as the anchor. The Charlotte planting calendar has typical and safe dates, fall planting and a month-by-month list for 26 vegetables.

When to plant tomatoes in Charlotte · Fall planting dates for Charlotte

Frost dates near Charlotte

All North Carolina cities

Frequently asked questions

What is the average last frost date in Charlotte?

Mar 30 is the median (50%) date for Charlotte's last 32°F night, from NOAA 1991–2020 normals at Charlotte Douglas Airport. To play it safe, use Apr 14: only about 1 year in 10 has a freeze after it.

When is the first frost in Charlotte?

The first 32°F night typically arrives by Nov 3. About 1 year in 10, it comes as early as Oct 22. A 36°F night (frost possible on plants) typically shows up around Oct 27.

What growing zone is Charlotte, North Carolina? Is Charlotte zone 7 or 8?

Zone 8a (zone 8 for short) is Charlotte's USDA hardiness zone on the 2023 map. Most of the city was 7b on the older 2012 map, so you'll still find 'zone 7' in older references.

Is it too early to plant in Charlotte?

If it's before Mar 30, it's too early for frost-tender plants: another 32°F night is more likely than not. From Mar 30 to Apr 14, the risk falls from 50% to 10%. Cool-season crops such as peas and lettuce can be planted weeks earlier (see the planting calendar).

What temperature is a killing frost?

It depends on the crop. Tender plants such as tomatoes are killed by a light frost, which CSU Extension describes as 28–32°F; below 28°F is a heavy frost. We show NOAA odds for 36°F (frost possible on plants), 32°F (freeze, our headline) and 28°F (hard freeze).

Is first frost the same as first freeze?

Not quite. A freeze is when the air reaches 32°F. Frost is ice that forms on surfaces, and on calm, clear nights it can form with the air a few degrees above freezing. So in Charlotte, the first 36°F night (frost possible on plants) typically comes around Oct 27, before the first 32°F night (Nov 3).

Download & sources

• Add Charlotte frost & planting dates to your calendar (.ics, 2027)
• Printable planting calendar (PDF)
• How these numbers are calculated

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal and daily normals, station USW00013881); USDA Plant Hardiness Zone ZIP tables 2023 and 2012 by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; Census 2020 ZIP/place relationship file; USGS elevation. Long-term odds, not a forecast. Figures and sentences are generated from these data by fixed rules; see the methodology. Last updated 2026-10-08.