Frost dates for Morehead 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 18
typical year
Safe to plant
April 5
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 21
typical year
Growing season
249 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 18 – Mar 4 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 4 – 25 | Sep 26 – Oct 10 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 18 – Mar 11 | Sep 26 – Oct 10 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 18 – Apr 1 | Oct 10 – 24 |
| Onions | – | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 25 – Mar 18 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| Beets | – | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Sep 12 – 26 |
| Kale | Jan 7 – 21 | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Sep 12 – 26 |
| Broccoli | Jan 7 – 21 | Mar 4 – 18 | Sep 12 – 26 |
| Cabbage | Dec 24 – Jan 7 | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Sep 12 – 26 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 10 – 31 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 8 – 22 | Apr 5 – 19 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 1 – 15 | Apr 12 – 26 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 5 – 26 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 5 – May 3 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 5 – 26 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 5 – Sep 12 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 5 – May 3 | – |
| Basil | Mar 1 – 15 | Apr 12 – 19 | – |
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 5 | March 18 | February 26 |
| Fall frost before | November 5 | November 21 | December 12 |
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 2 (March 23 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 5.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Morehead City
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MOREHEAD CITY 2 WNW, NC US (USC00315830), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 1 miles:
28557
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.