Frost dates for Morganton, 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
April 7
typical year
Safe to plant
April 26
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 28
typical year
Growing season
202 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 | – | Mar 10 – 24 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Sep 2 – 16 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 10 – 31 | Sep 2 – 16 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 10 – Apr 21 | Sep 16 – 30 |
| Onions | – | Mar 10 – 24 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 17 – 31 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 17 – Apr 7 | Aug 5 – 19 |
| Beets | – | Mar 10 – 24 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Kale | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 10 – 24 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Broccoli | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Cabbage | Jan 13 – 27 | Mar 10 – 24 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 16 – Oct 7 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 1 – 15 | Apr 26 – May 10 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – 17 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 26 – May 17 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 26 – May 24 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 26 – May 17 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 26 – Aug 19 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 26 – May 24 | – |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – 10 | – |
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 26 | April 7 | March 24 |
| Fall frost before | October 14 | October 28 | November 9 |
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 28 (April 13 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 6.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
Morganton, Valdese, Drexel, Glen Alpine
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MORGANTON, NC US (USC00315838), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 5 zip codes, all within 9 miles:
28612, 28619, 28628, 28655, 28690
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.