Frost dates in Winston, 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 Winston is March 26, and the average first fall frost is November 9, from NOAA's Winston Salem Rynlds Airport station, 3 miles from the middle of Winston. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after April 11, and the first one by October 28. That leaves about 228 frost-free days. Winston is in USDA planting zone 8a.

Weather stations around Winston

The first row is the date most people in Winston go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
Winston Salem Rynlds Airport 3 mi away, 970 ft	March 26 1 in 10 after April 11	November 9 1 in 10 by October 28	228 days
Pfafftown 7 mi away, 950 ft	April 9 1 in 10 after April 23	October 31 1 in 10 by October 20	205 days
Rural Hall 9 mi away, 960 ft	April 6 1 in 10 after April 21	October 31 1 in 10 by October 17	208 days
Yadkinville 6 E 16 mi away, 875 ft	April 16 1 in 10 after May 3	October 25 1 in 10 by October 11	192 days
Piedmont Triad Intl Airport 18 mi away, 890 ft	March 30 1 in 10 after April 14	November 5 1 in 10 by October 25	220 days

Distances are from the middle of Winston 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 27110, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Winston 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.

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