Winston-Salem, North Carolina: planting zone & frost dates
Winston-Salem is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 2 and the first fall frost around Nov 3.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 11 | Oct 28 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 2 | Nov 3 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 26 | Nov 9 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station WINSTON SALEM RYNLDS AP, NC (USW00093807), 3.0 mi (4.9 km) from the city center and 177 ft higher than the city center (+54 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 21 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 11 ZIP codes): 8a (57%), 7b (43%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Winston-Salem
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 2, first frost Nov 3). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Mar 5 – Apr 16 | Aug 25 – Sep 22 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 9 – May 14 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 9 – May 7 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Cucumber | Mar 5 – Mar 12 | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 12 – Apr 16 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Onion | Jan 8 – Jan 22 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | Apr 16 – May 7 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 19 – Mar 19 | Sep 8 – Oct 6 |
| Kale | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | Aug 25 – Sep 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | — | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 19 – Mar 12 | Aug 25 – Sep 8 |
| Eggplant | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | — | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 26 – Apr 16 | Sep 22 – Oct 20 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 5 – Mar 26 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 12 – Apr 23 | Aug 25 – Sep 8 |
Nearby cities in North Carolina
- High Point — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 31
- Greensboro — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 31
- Concord — zone 8a, last frost Apr 6, first frost Oct 28
- Charlotte — zone 8a, last frost Apr 5, first frost Oct 30
- Gastonia — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 3
- Durham — zone 8a, last frost Apr 9, first frost Nov 1
More: all North Carolina cities · other zone 8a cities: Charlotte, NC, Memphis, TN, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC, Greensboro, NC, Durham, NC, Chesapeake, VA, Huntsville, AL
Winston-Salem gardening questions
When is the last frost in Winston-Salem, NC?
Plan around Apr 2. At NOAA's Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC station, 3.0 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Mar 26, and after Apr 11 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 13. The 90% and 10% dates are 36 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Winston-Salem, NC?
Start seeds indoors Feb 5 – Feb 19 and set transplants outside Apr 9 – Apr 23, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 215 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Winston-Salem?
About 228 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 205 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 253 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 28 and a 30% chance by Nov 3. That ranks 3rd longest of 13 North Carolina cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Winston-Salem?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 3): transplant broccoli Aug 11 – Aug 25; sow kale Aug 25 – Sep 22; sow lettuce Aug 25 – Sep 22; sow radishes Sep 22 – Oct 20. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 23. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Winston-Salem's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Winston-Salem was zone 7b on the 2012 map and is zone 8a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Winston-Salem in zone 8a?
No. Zone 8a covers about 57% of the city's land; the rest is in 7b (43%), measured across the city's 11 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.