Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Apex, NC
Apex, NC sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 6 and its first of fall around November 3 — a 209-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Mar 21 | Nov 15 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 6 | Nov 3 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 21 | Oct 23 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 209 days median, at least 191 in 9 years of 10, at least 231 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 28 and first of Nov 13.
Apex planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 6) and median first frost (Nov 3) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 12 | Mar 9 | Jun 27 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 6 | May 6 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 23 | Mar 23 | May 7 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 9 | Apr 20 | Jun 19 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 9 | Apr 13 | Jun 27 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 26 | Apr 20 | Jul 24 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 9 | Apr 13 | Jun 27 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 9 | Apr 13 | Jul 2 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 9 | Apr 13 | Jul 2 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 23 | Mar 23 | Jun 1 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 23 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 23 | Apr 13 | Jun 27 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 23 | Apr 13 | Jul 2 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Apex grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Apex container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Apex frost questions
When is the last frost in Apex, NC?
The median last 32 °F freeze at NEW HILL, NC is April 6: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 21; nine years in ten, it comes after March 21. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Apex, NC?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 3. One year in ten it arrives before October 23; nine years in ten, before November 15.
How long is the growing season in Apex, NC?
209 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 191 days; one year in ten, at least 231 days.
What growing zone is Apex, NC?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 27502. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Apex, NC?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 23 and transplant around Apr 13, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 21. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 27.
When should I plant peppers in Apex, NC?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 9; transplant no earlier than Apr 13, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 27.
Nearby in North Carolina
- Carylast frost Mar 27
- Holly Springslast frost Mar 31
- Fuquay-Varinalast frost Apr 6
- Raleighlast frost Mar 28
- Chapel Hilllast frost Mar 31
- Durhamlast frost Apr 2
All North Carolina frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →