Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Jacksonville, NC
Jacksonville, NC sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 23 and its first of fall around November 16 — a 240-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 2 | Dec 7 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 23 | Nov 16 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 7 | Nov 1 |
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: 240 days median, at least 216 in 9 years of 10, at least 268 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 8 and first of Dec 1.
Jacksonville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 23) and median first frost (Nov 16) 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) | Dec 29 | Feb 23 | Jun 13 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 23 | Apr 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 9 | Mar 9 | Apr 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 23 | Apr 6 | Jun 5 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 26 | Mar 30 | Jun 13 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 12 | Apr 6 | Jul 10 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 26 | Mar 30 | Jun 13 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 26 | Mar 30 | Jun 18 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 26 | Mar 30 | Jun 18 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 9 | Mar 9 | May 18 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 9 | Mar 30 | Jun 8 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 9 | Mar 30 | Jun 13 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 9 | Mar 30 | Jun 18 | 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 Jacksonville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Jacksonville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Jacksonville frost questions
When is the last frost in Jacksonville, NC?
The median last 32 °F freeze at NEW RIVER MCAF, NC is March 23: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 7; nine years in ten, it comes after March 2. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Jacksonville, NC?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 16. One year in ten it arrives before November 1; nine years in ten, before December 7.
How long is the growing season in Jacksonville, NC?
240 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 216 days; one year in ten, at least 268 days.
What growing zone is Jacksonville, NC?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 28543. 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 Jacksonville, NC?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 9 and transplant around Mar 30, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 7. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 13.
When should I plant peppers in Jacksonville, NC?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 26; transplant no earlier than Mar 30, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 13.
Nearby in North Carolina
- Wilmingtonlast frost Mar 19
- Greenvillelast frost Mar 27
- Wilsonlast frost Mar 22
- Rocky Mountlast frost Apr 1
- Fayettevillelast frost Mar 30
- Fuquay-Varinalast frost Apr 6
All North Carolina frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →