Frost dates in Cary, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Cary is March 31, and the average first fall frost is November 4, from NOAA's Raleigh Durham Intl Airport station, 8 miles from the middle of Cary. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after April 16, and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 218 frost-free days. Cary is in USDA planting zone 8a.
Weather stations around Cary
The first row is the date most people in Cary go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh Durham Intl Airport 8 mi away, 416 ft | March 31 1 in 10 after April 16 | November 4 1 in 10 by October 23 | 218 days |
| Apex 3 mi away, 450 ft | March 27 1 in 10 after April 10 | November 8 1 in 10 by October 26 | 226 days |
| Cary 5 mi away, 390 ft | March 31 1 in 10 after April 12 | November 10 1 in 10 by October 30 | 224 days |
| Raleigh State Univ 7 mi away, 400 ft | March 28 1 in 10 after April 12 | November 8 1 in 10 by October 28 | 225 days |
| Raleigh 4 SW 9 mi away, 420 ft | March 28 1 in 10 after April 12 | November 9 1 in 10 by October 27 | 226 days |
Distances are from the middle of Cary as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 27513, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Cary covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of North Carolina, station by station.
Other North Carolina cities: Charlotte · Raleigh · Greensboro · Durham · Winston · Fayetteville
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer