Fall in zone 7bPhoto: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 28619 (Drexel, NC)
Average last spring and first fall frost dates with 10%, 50% and 90% odds, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the nearest weather station, Morganton, NC (4 miles away).
- Average last spring frostApr 750% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostOct 2850% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)202 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone7b5 to 10°F avg. coldest night
Get The Dial for 28619 (Drexel)
Frost and freeze alerts from the NWS forecast for 28619, the spring soil-temperature heads-up for pre-emergent, and a short weekly yard-timing email.
- Freeze alerts
- Soil-temp heads-up
- Weekly yard to-dos
Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.
This week in your yard
As of Oct 18, 2026, from your frost dates, zone and soil temperature. Lawn timing · Vegetables · Pruning · Plants
Soil temperature now
2-inch depth
61°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 56°F, as of Oct 18, 2:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Asheville 13 S (58 mi).
4-inch depth
No soil station with a fresh reading within 62 miles.
Fall: Texas A&M AgriLife times fall pre-emergent (for winter weeds such as annual bluegrass) to soil cooling to about 70°F for several days. The 50–55°F band is the spring trigger. Always read and follow the product label.
7-day forecast and frost risk
The latest National Weather Service 7-day forecast and any Frost Advisory or Freeze Warning for 28619 load here. You can also open the NWS forecast for this ZIP.
Pre-emergent
No soil reading near this ZIP. Typical extension timing for your region: spring early March to early April; fall late August to mid-September.
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: Transition zone. Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Bermudagrass (warm-season): Spring: Several weeks after the lawn is fully green (April–May) (about May 23 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Every 4–6 weeks through mid-August (heaviest feeder of the group); Late: Light, low-nitrogen/high-potassium feeding about 4 weeks before first frost, or skip. Avoid: Heavy late-fall nitrogen (linked to spring dead spot).
- Tall fescue (cool-season): Early fall: September (main feeding); Late fall: November, while still green; Late winter: Optional light feeding February–March. Avoid: Feeding after mid-spring and through summer in the transition zone (stress and brown patch).
Plant now
No vegetable planting windows are open this week.
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Your average first frost is Oct 28: skip heavy pruning in the 6–8 weeks before it, because new growth may not harden off in time.
Spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after their flowers fade, not by date. See the pruning guide.
Last spring frost odds
| Chance of a 32°F freeze after this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 90% (early: most years still freeze after this) | Mar 24 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Apr 7 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | Apr 26 |
Most gardeners plant frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the 50% date, and closer to the 10% date for less risk.
First fall frost odds
| Chance the first 32°F freeze has happened by this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 10% (early: 1 year in 10 freezes this soon) | Oct 14 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Oct 28 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 9 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | Apr 22 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 7 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 28 | Nov 6 |
n/a means NOAA did not publish a date at that threshold for this station (usually because it rarely gets that cold).
Vegetable planting calendar for 28619
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Apr 7) and first fall frost (Oct 28). Half of years have a frost after the spring date, so give tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) some slack.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 10–24 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) | – |
| Eggplant | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) | – |
| Tomatillo | Feb 10–24 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 10–24 | Mar 17–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 10–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–23 (transplant) Aug 19–Sep 16 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Feb 24–Mar 17 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–23 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 5–Sep 2 (transplant) Jul 22–Aug 19 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Aug 5–Sep 2 (transplant) Jul 22–Aug 19 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 22–Aug 19 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 22–Aug 19 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 24–Apr 7 (transplant) | Jul 22–Aug 19 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 13–27 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 8–29 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 10–24 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 19–Sep 2 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 10–24 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–16 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–30 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 10–31 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–16 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Mar 24–Apr 14 (transplant) Mar 24–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Aug 19–Sep 2 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 10–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | Aug 19–Sep 2 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 17–Apr 14 (sow outdoors) | Aug 5–19 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Mar 3–Apr 14 (sow outdoors) | Sep 16–30 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 10–31 (sow outdoors) | Aug 19–Sep 2 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 17–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 10–Mar 10 (sow outdoors) | Aug 5–19 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 13–27 | Feb 24–Mar 10 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Feb 24–Mar 24 (sow outdoors) | Aug 19–Sep 2 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 13–27 | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 16–Oct 14 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Feb 24–Mar 10 (transplant) | Sep 16–Oct 14 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Jul 8–22 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | Apr 28–May 12 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | Apr 28–May 19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Winter squash | Mar 10–17 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 10–17 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 10–17 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Apr 21–May 5 (transplant) Apr 21–May 5 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 13–27 | Apr 14–21 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Feb 24–Mar 10 | Apr 14–28 (transplant) Apr 14–28 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Mar 24–Apr 21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–16 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Jan 27–Feb 10 | Mar 24–Apr 7 (transplant) Mar 17–Apr 7 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Apr 7–21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 2–16 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Apr 7–21 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 10–24 (transplant) | Aug 19–Sep 16 (transplant) |
Typical ranges from university extension planting calendars, adjusted to your frost dates. Probabilities, not guarantees. Fall windows that would overlap spring planting are left out, as are fall crops of frost-tender plants where the frost-free season is under 210 days.
Where these numbers come from
Station: Morganton, NC (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00315838), elevation 1,180 ft, 4.3 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: R (representative, 10+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir, NC | 11 mi | Apr 7 | Oct 31 |
| Hickory FAA AP, NC | 13 mi | Mar 31 | Nov 4 |
| Vale AG 2 SW, NC | 19 mi | Apr 12 | Oct 28 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 12 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 28619
When is the last frost in 28619?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 28619 is April 7. For a more cautious planting date, use April 26, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 28619?
The average first fall freeze is October 28. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 14.
What hardiness zone is 28619?
ZIP 28619 is in USDA zone 7b (5 to 10°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 28619 right now?
This page shows the latest 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperature from the nearest public soil station (USDA SCAN, NOAA USCRN or TexMesonet), or a labeled estimate when no station is close, against the 50–55°F spring pre-emergent band.
Nearby ZIP codes
28690 Valdese 28671 Rutherford College 28655 Morganton 28666 Icard 28612 Connelly Springs 28638 Hudson 28628 Glen Alpine 28667 Rhodhiss
Other ZIP codes in Burke County
28612 28628 28637 28641 28655 28666 28671 28690 All Burke County frost dates · North Carolina frost dates
Never miss a frost: get The Dial
Weekly yard timing, plus frost and soil-temperature alerts for your ZIP code.
- Freeze alerts
- Soil-temp heads-up
- Weekly yard to-dos
Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.