Fletcher, NC frost dates
From NOAA weather station Fletcher 3 W (USC00313106), elevation 2,070 ft. The station is named for Fletcher, and its coordinates are 2.8 miles from the Census Bureau’s internal point for Fletcher town.
Summary
In the 1991–2020 record, the median last spring freeze (32°F) at Fletcher 3 W is Apr 18 and the median first fall freeze is Oct 21, for a typical freeze-free season of 186 days. In about 1 year in 10 the last spring freeze comes after May 4, and in about 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives by Oct 8. The station averages 109 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 17 days later than the state median (Apr 1), the median first freeze is 14 days earlier than the state median (Nov 4), and the growing season ranks #158 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 16 | Apr 30 | May 15 | Sep 30 | Oct 12 | Oct 25 | 144 / 164 / 185 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 1 | Apr 18 | May 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 21 | Nov 3 | 165 / 186 / 207 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 18 | Apr 4 | Apr 21 | Oct 17 | Nov 1 | Nov 15 | 190 / 210 / 232 |
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 Fletcher
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 Fletcher 3 W: Avery Creek (3 mi).
Nearby stations
- Asheville 13 S, NC — 1 mi; median last freeze Apr 17, first freeze Oct 23
- Asheville Rgnl AP, NC — 1 mi; median last freeze Apr 9, first freeze Oct 28
- Asheville 8 SSW, NC — 6 mi; median last freeze Apr 24, first freeze Oct 18
- Bent Creek, NC — 6 mi; median last freeze Apr 26, first freeze Oct 18
- Hendersonville 1 NE, NC — 9 mi; median last freeze Apr 14, first freeze Oct 25
About this station’s data
- Station ID: USC00313106 · Latitude 35.4267, longitude -82.5569 · Elevation 631 m (2,070 ft)
- NOAA completeness flag: R — Representative: meets WMO standards for 10 or more years; gaps filled from surrounding stations. Years of data used: 20.
- Source file: USC00313106.csv (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 annual/seasonal normals).
Raw values from the NOAA file (32°F)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP10 | 05/04 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50 | 04/18 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP90 | 04/01 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP10 | 10/08 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50 | 10/21 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP90 | 11/03 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP10 | 207.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP50 | 186.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP90 | 165.0 |