Fall in zone 8bPhoto: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 28450 (Lake Waccamaw, 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, Whiteville 7 NW, NC (18 miles away).
- Average last spring frostMar 2950% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostNov 650% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)224 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone8b15 to 20°F avg. coldest night
Get The Dial for 28450 (Lake Waccamaw)
Frost and freeze alerts from the NWS forecast for 28450, 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
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 28450 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 14 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 6: 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 8 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Mar 29 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | Apr 12 |
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 25 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Nov 6 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 23 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | Apr 8 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 29 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 14 | Nov 17 |
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 28450
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Mar 29) and first fall frost (Nov 6). 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 1–15 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) | Jul 10–Aug 7 (transplant) |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Apr 12–26 (transplant) | Jul 17–Aug 7 (transplant) |
| Eggplant | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Apr 12–26 (transplant) | Jul 17–Aug 7 (transplant) |
| Tomatillo | Feb 1–15 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 1–15 | Mar 8–29 (transplant) Mar 1–Apr 12 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–Oct 2 (transplant) Aug 28–Sep 25 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Feb 15–Mar 8 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–Oct 2 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 1–15 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) Mar 1–15 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–Sep 11 (transplant) Jul 31–Aug 28 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 1–15 | Mar 1–29 (transplant) Mar 1–29 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–Sep 11 (transplant) Jul 31–Aug 28 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | Jul 31–Aug 28 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | Jul 31–Aug 28 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Mar 15–29 (transplant) | Jul 31–Aug 28 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 4–18 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | Jul 17–Aug 7 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 1–15 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) Mar 1–15 (sow outdoors) | Aug 28–Sep 11 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 1–15 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–25 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 1–29 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–Oct 9 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 1–22 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–25 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Feb 15–Mar 1 | Mar 15–Apr 5 (transplant) Mar 15–Apr 12 (sow outdoors) | Aug 28–Sep 11 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 1–29 (sow outdoors) | Aug 28–Sep 11 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 8–Apr 5 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–28 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Feb 22–Apr 5 (sow outdoors) | Sep 25–Oct 9 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 1–22 (sow outdoors) | Aug 28–Sep 11 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 8–29 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 1–Mar 1 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–28 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 4–18 | Feb 15–Mar 1 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Feb 15–Mar 15 (sow outdoors) | Aug 28–Sep 11 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 4–18 | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 25–Oct 23 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Feb 15–Mar 1 (transplant) | Sep 25–Oct 23 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | Jul 17–31 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | Apr 19–May 3 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–28 (sowing) |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 12–26 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | Apr 19–May 10 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 1–8 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–28 (sowing) |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 1–8 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | Aug 14–28 (sowing) |
| Winter squash | Mar 1–8 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 1–8 | Apr 12–26 (transplant) Apr 12–26 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 1–8 | Apr 12–26 (transplant) Apr 12–26 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Feb 15–Mar 1 | Apr 12–26 (transplant) Apr 12–26 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 4–18 | Apr 5–12 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Feb 15–Mar 1 | Apr 5–19 (transplant) Apr 5–19 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Mar 15–Apr 12 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–25 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Jan 18–Feb 1 | Mar 15–29 (transplant) Mar 8–29 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Mar 29–Apr 12 (sow outdoors) | Sep 11–25 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Mar 29–Apr 12 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 1–15 (transplant) | Aug 28–Sep 25 (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: Whiteville 7 NW, NC (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00319357), elevation 90 ft, 18.2 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: R (representative, 10+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood, NC | 21 mi | Mar 26 | Nov 11 |
| Elizabethtown, NC | 23 mi | Mar 29 | Nov 8 |
| Moores Creek Nb, NC | 24 mi | Mar 27 | Nov 8 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 3 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 28450
When is the last frost in 28450?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 28450 is March 29. For a more cautious planting date, use April 12, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 28450?
The average first fall freeze is November 6. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 25.
What hardiness zone is 28450?
ZIP 28450 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 28450 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
28423 Bolton 28442 Hallsboro 28472 Whiteville 28434 28424 Brunswick 28456 Riegelwood 28436 Delco 28433 Clarkton
Other ZIP codes in Columbus County
28423 28424 28430 28431 28432 28436 28438 28439 28442 28455 28456 28463 28472 All Columbus 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.