Frost dates for Durham, North Carolina
North Carolina · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals
In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Durham comes near April 2 and the first fall freeze near November 4. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after April 18 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by October 24. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 217 days.
Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds
| Threshold | Last spring — 9 in 10 years past by | Last spring — typical (median) | Last spring — 1 in 10 years later than | First fall — 1 in 10 years by | First fall — typical (median) | First fall — 9 in 10 years by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur) | March 30 | April 14 | May 1 | October 13 | October 27 | November 6 |
| 32°F — freezing | March 15 | April 2 | April 18 | October 24 | November 4 | November 19 |
| 28°F — hard freeze | February 28 | March 19 | April 6 | November 2 | November 16 | December 7 |
Measured at Durham, NC (USC00312515), 5.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 400 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) | Opens | Closes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | April 18 | October 24 | 189 days |
| Typical (median freeze dates) | April 2 | November 4 | 216 days |
| Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end) | March 15 | November 19 | 249 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.
About this city's numbers
- Census entity: Durham city, North Carolina — official 2024 population estimate 301,870.
- Weather station: Durham, NC (USC00312515), 5.7 mi from the city's census-gazetteer reference point at elevation 400 ft. Frost dates are that station's history — neighborhoods vary.
- Data pulled 2026-09-05; normals period 1991-2020 (replaced by NOAA roughly once a decade).
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