Frost dates for Elizabeth City, NC
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
March 27
typical year
Safe to plant
April 18
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 17
typical year
Growing season
238 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 13 – Mar 6 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 27 – Apr 10 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Onions | – | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 6 – 20 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 6 – 27 | Aug 25 – Sep 8 |
| Beets | – | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Sep 8 – 22 |
| Kale | Jan 16 – 30 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Sep 8 – 22 |
| Broccoli | Jan 16 – 30 | Mar 13 – 27 | Sep 8 – 22 |
| Cabbage | Jan 2 – 16 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Sep 8 – 22 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 6 – 27 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 18 – May 2 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 14 – 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 18 – May 9 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 18 – May 16 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 18 – May 9 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 18 – Sep 8 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 18 – May 16 | – |
| Basil | Mar 14 – 28 | Apr 25 – May 2 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | April 18 | March 27 | March 7 |
| Fall frost before | November 3 | November 17 | December 5 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around March 12 (April 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 2.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Elizabeth City
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ELIZABETH CITY, NC US (USC00312719), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 17 miles:
27909, 27919, 27921, 27929, 27956, 27958, 27973
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.