Fall in zone 8bPhoto: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 28318 (Autryville, 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, Fayetteville (pwc), NC (14 miles away).
- Average last spring frostMar 3050% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostNov 1050% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)227 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone8b15 to 20°F avg. coldest night
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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
No soil station with a fresh reading within 62 miles.
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 28318 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 mid-February to early March; fall September to early October.
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: Southeast (warm, humid). Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Centipedegrass (warm-season): Spring: Not before mid-May (NC State); after full green-up (about May 15 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Optional mid-summer feeding, especially on sandy coastal soils. Avoid: Early-spring feeding, frequent feeding and liming unless a soil test calls for it (centipede decline).
Plant now
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Your average first frost is Nov 10: 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 9 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Mar 30 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | Apr 16 |
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 28 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Nov 10 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 29 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | Apr 9 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 30 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 16 | Nov 23 |
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 28318
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Mar 30) and first fall frost (Nov 10). 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 2–16 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) | Jul 14–Aug 11 (transplant) |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Apr 13–27 (transplant) | Jul 21–Aug 11 (transplant) |
| Eggplant | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Apr 13–27 (transplant) | Jul 21–Aug 11 (transplant) |
| Tomatillo | Feb 2–16 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 2–16 | Mar 9–30 (transplant) Mar 2–Apr 13 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–Oct 6 (transplant) Sep 1–29 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Feb 16–Mar 9 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–Oct 6 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 2–16 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) Mar 2–16 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 15 (transplant) Aug 4–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 2–16 | Mar 2–30 (transplant) Mar 2–30 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 15 (transplant) Aug 4–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | Aug 4–Sep 1 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | Aug 4–Sep 1 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Mar 16–30 (transplant) | Aug 4–Sep 1 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 5–19 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | Jul 21–Aug 11 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 2–16 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) Mar 2–16 (sow outdoors) | Sep 1–15 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 2–16 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–29 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 2–30 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–Oct 13 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 2–23 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–29 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Feb 16–Mar 2 | Mar 16–Apr 6 (transplant) Mar 16–Apr 13 (sow outdoors) | Sep 1–15 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 2–30 (sow outdoors) | Sep 1–15 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 9–Apr 6 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Feb 23–Apr 6 (sow outdoors) | Sep 29–Oct 13 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 2–23 (sow outdoors) | Sep 1–15 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 9–30 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 2–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 5–19 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Feb 16–Mar 16 (sow outdoors) | Sep 1–15 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 5–19 | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 29–Oct 27 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) | Sep 29–Oct 27 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | Jul 21–Aug 4 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | Apr 20–May 4 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 13–27 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | Apr 20–May 11 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 2–9 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 2–9 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | Aug 18–Sep 1 (sowing) |
| Winter squash | Mar 2–9 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 2–9 | Apr 13–27 (transplant) Apr 13–27 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 2–9 | Apr 13–27 (transplant) Apr 13–27 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Feb 16–Mar 2 | Apr 13–27 (transplant) Apr 13–27 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 5–19 | Apr 6–13 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Feb 16–Mar 2 | Apr 6–20 (transplant) Apr 6–20 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Mar 16–Apr 13 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–29 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Jan 19–Feb 2 | Mar 16–30 (transplant) Mar 9–30 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Mar 30–Apr 13 (sow outdoors) | Sep 15–29 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Mar 30–Apr 13 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | Sep 1–29 (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: Fayetteville (pwc), NC (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00313017), elevation 96 ft, 13.7 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: S (standard, 24+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville Rgnl AP, NC | 15 mi | Mar 22 | Nov 13 |
| Clinton 2 NE, NC | 20 mi | Mar 26 | Nov 7 |
| Dunn 4 NW, NC | 22 mi | Mar 28 | Nov 7 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 8 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 28318
When is the last frost in 28318?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 28318 is March 30. For a more cautious planting date, use April 16, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 28318?
The average first fall freeze is November 10. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 28.
What hardiness zone is 28318?
ZIP 28318 is in USDA zone 8b (15 to 20°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 28318 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
28391 Stedman 28382 Roseboro 28385 Salemburg 28312 Eastover 28395 Wade 28344 Godwin 28342 Falcon 28331 Falcon
Other ZIP codes in Sampson County
28328 28334 28341 28344 28366 28382 28385 28393 28441 28444 All Sampson County frost dates · North Carolina frost dates
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Weekly yard timing, plus frost and soil-temperature alerts for your ZIP code.
- Freeze alerts
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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.