Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill, NC sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 31 and its first of fall around November 3 — a 218-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 16 | Nov 19 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 31 | Nov 3 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 14 | 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: 218 days median, at least 200 in 9 years of 10, at least 238 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 19 and first of Nov 14.
Chapel Hill planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 31) 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 6 | Mar 3 | Jun 21 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 31 | Apr 30 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 17 | Mar 17 | May 1 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 3 | Apr 14 | Jun 13 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 3 | Apr 7 | Jun 21 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 20 | Apr 14 | Jul 18 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 3 | Apr 7 | Jun 21 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 3 | Apr 7 | Jun 26 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 3 | Apr 7 | Jun 26 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 17 | Mar 17 | May 26 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 17 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 17 | Apr 7 | Jun 21 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 17 | Apr 7 | Jun 26 | 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 Chapel Hill grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Chapel Hill container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Chapel Hill frost questions
When is the last frost in Chapel Hill, NC?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CHAPEL HILL 2 W, NC is March 31: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 14; nine years in ten, it comes after March 16. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Chapel Hill, 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 19.
How long is the growing season in Chapel Hill, NC?
218 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 200 days; one year in ten, at least 238 days.
What growing zone is Chapel Hill, NC?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 27510. 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 Chapel Hill, NC?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 17 and transplant around Apr 7, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 14. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 21.
When should I plant peppers in Chapel Hill, NC?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 3; transplant no earlier than Apr 7, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 21.
Nearby in North Carolina
- Durhamlast frost Apr 2
- Carylast frost Mar 27
- Apexlast frost Apr 6
- Holly Springslast frost Mar 31
- Raleighlast frost Mar 28
- Burlingtonlast frost Apr 1
All North Carolina frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →