Rocky Mount, NC frost dates
From NOAA weather station Rocky Mt Wilson AP (USW00093759), elevation 160 ft. The station is named for Rocky Mount, and its coordinates are 9.2 miles from the Census Bureau’s internal point for Rocky Mount city.
Summary
In the 1991–2020 record, the median last spring freeze (32°F) at Rocky Mt Wilson AP is Apr 1 and the median first fall freeze is Nov 5, for a typical freeze-free season of 219 days. In about 1 year in 10 the last spring freeze comes after Apr 16, and in about 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives by Oct 25. The station averages 69 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 the same day as the state median (Apr 1), the median first freeze is 1 day later than the state median (Nov 4), and the growing season ranks #89 of 187 by length (longest = #1). The spread between the 90% and 10% spring dates is 31 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) | Mar 30 | Apr 13 | May 1 | Oct 16 | Oct 28 | Nov 8 | 176 / 197 / 217 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 16 | Apr 1 | Apr 16 | Oct 25 | Nov 5 | Nov 19 | 200 / 219 / 240 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 1 | Mar 21 | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | Nov 16 | Dec 4 | 219 / 241 / 268 |
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 Rocky Mount
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 Rocky Mt Wilson AP: Sharpsburg (4 mi), Elm City (4 mi), Nashville (9 mi), Dortches (11 mi), Momeyer (11 mi), Spring Hope (14 mi), Red Oak (14 mi).
Nearby stations
- Wilson 3 SW, NC — 12 mi; median last freeze Mar 22, first freeze Nov 12
- Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC — 12 mi; median last freeze Mar 31, first freeze Nov 7
- Tarboro 1 S, NC — 20 mi; median last freeze Mar 30, first freeze Nov 9
- Louisburg, NC — 29 mi; median last freeze Apr 11, first freeze Oct 29
- Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC — 30 mi; median last freeze Mar 28, first freeze Nov 12
About this station’s data
- Station ID: USW00093759 · Latitude 35.8550, longitude -77.8931 · Elevation 49 m (160 ft)
- NOAA completeness flag: R — Representative: meets WMO standards for 10 or more years; gaps filled from surrounding stations. Years of data used: 19.
- Source file: USW00093759.csv (NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 annual/seasonal normals).
Raw values from the NOAA file (32°F)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP10 | 04/16 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50 | 04/01 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP90 | 03/16 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP10 | 10/25 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50 | 11/05 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP90 | 11/19 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP10 | 240.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP50 | 219.0 |
ANN-TMIN-PRBGSL-T32FP90 | 200.0 |