Swannanoa, NC frost dates
From NOAA weather station Black Mtn 2 W (USC00310843), elevation 2,290 ft. The nearest Census place to the station coordinates is Swannanoa CDP, 1.6 miles away.
Summary
In the 1991–2020 record, the median last spring freeze (32°F) at Black Mtn 2 W is Apr 19 and the median first fall freeze is Oct 23, for a typical freeze-free season of 184 days. In about 1 year in 10 the last spring freeze comes after May 7, and in about 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives by Oct 8. The station averages 102 nights per year with a low of 32°F or colder.
Compared with the median of 187 North Carolina stations in this dataset, the median last freeze here is 18 days later than the state median (Apr 1), the median first freeze is 12 days earlier than the state median (Nov 4), and the growing season ranks #163 of 187 by length (longest = #1). The spread between the 90% and 10% spring dates is 33 days, a measure of how variable spring is here.
Freeze probability table
| Threshold | Last spring occurrence | First fall occurrence | Season length (days) 90% / 50% / 10% | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early (90% chance of a later freeze) | Median (50%) | Cautious (10% chance of a later freeze) | Early (10% chance by then) | Median (50%) | Late (90% chance by then) | ||
| 36°F (light frost possible) | Apr 17 | May 3 | May 18 | Sep 29 | Oct 12 | Oct 28 | 141 / 161 / 181 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 4 | Apr 19 | May 7 | Oct 8 | Oct 23 | Nov 4 | 162 / 184 / 205 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 19 | Apr 4 | Apr 20 | Oct 18 | Nov 1 | Nov 15 | 187 / 207 / 229 |
Read the spring “Cautious” column as the safer planting date: only about 1 year in 10 has a freeze after it. NOAA computes these from daily minimum temperatures at the station; your yard can differ, especially in low spots or at a different elevation.
Planting calendar for Swannanoa
Pick how much frost risk you accept. The calendar applies generic, extension-published timing rules to this station’s dates. See the rules and sources.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Plant outdoors (spring) | Latest fall planting (est.) | Days to harvest |
|---|
Fall estimates count back from the median first fall freeze (32°F for tender crops, 28°F hard freeze for cool-season crops) by the longer days-to-harvest figure. These are rough planning aids, not recommendations for any specific variety; check seed packets and your county extension office.
Towns that use this station as their nearest
Census places within 15 miles whose closest station in this dataset is Black Mtn 2 W: Swannanoa (2 mi), Black Mountain (2 mi).
Nearby stations
- Swannanoa 2 SSE, NC — 3 mi; median last freeze Apr 22, first freeze Oct 24
- N Fk 2, NC — 4 mi; median last freeze Apr 5, first freeze Oct 31
- Asheville, NC — 11 mi; median last freeze Apr 6, first freeze Oct 31
- Mt Mitchell, NC — 12 mi; median last freeze May 16, first freeze Oct 4
- Old Ft Ag 3 W, NC — 14 mi; median last freeze Apr 21, first freeze Oct 23
About this station’s data
- Station ID: USC00310843 · Latitude 35.6072, longitude -82.3594 · Elevation 698 m (2,290 ft)
- NOAA completeness flag: R — Representative: meets WMO standards for 10 or more years; gaps filled from surrounding stations. Years of data used: 14.
- Source file: USC00310843.csv (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 annual/seasonal normals).
Raw values from the NOAA file (32°F)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP10 | 05/07 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50 | 04/19 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP90 | 04/04 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP10 | 10/08 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50 | 10/23 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP90 | 11/04 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP10 | 205.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP50 | 184.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP90 | 162.0 |