Frost Dates
Frost Dates · North Carolina

Frost dates for Asheville, North Carolina

North Carolina · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals

Typical last spring freeze (32°F)
April 6
median date, 1991–2020
Typical first fall freeze (32°F)
October 31
median date, 1991–2020
Typical frost-free season
208 days
between the median dates

In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Asheville comes near April 6 and the first fall freeze near October 31. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after April 24 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by October 17. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 205 days.

JFMAMJJASONDApril 6October 31
The year at a glance: blue bands span the 9-in-10 to 1-in-10 range where the last spring / first fall 32°F freeze lands; the green band is the typical frost-free window between the median dates. Measured at Asheville, NC (USW00013872), 1.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 2,238 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals.

Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds

ThresholdLast spring — 9 in 10 years past byLast spring — typical (median)Last spring — 1 in 10 years later thanFirst fall — 1 in 10 years byFirst fall — typical (median)First fall — 9 in 10 years by
36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur)April 5April 20May 9October 9October 21November 2
32°F — freezingMarch 20April 6April 24October 17October 31November 13
28°F — hard freezeMarch 7March 26April 10October 28November 10November 28

Measured at Asheville, NC (USW00013872), 1.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 2,238 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.

Frost-free windows (computed)

Window (32°F ends)OpensClosesLength
Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end)April 24October 17176 days
Typical (median freeze dates)April 6October 31208 days
Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end)March 20November 13238 days

Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.

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