When to plant in Bryson City, NC
Planting dates worked out from Bryson City's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 5
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 12
1 year in 10 by Sep 27
Frost-free days
174
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Oconaluftee · 16.0 km away · station 622 m, town 528 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | May 5 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 14 |
| Potato | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 10 |
| Kale | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 7 |
| Broccoli | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | May 24 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 19 |
| Winter squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 28 – Oct 26 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 1 |
Bryson City's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1959 | May 15 |
| 1960 | May 14 |
| 1961 | May 28 |
| 1962 | Apr 24 |
| 1963 | May 3 |
| 1964 | Apr 17 |
| 1965 | May 1 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | Apr 30 |
| 1969 | Apr 26 |
| 1970 | May 8 |
| 1971 | May 5 |
| 1973 | May 19 |
| 1975 | Apr 22 |
| 1976 | May 20 |
| 1977 | May 12 |
| 1978 | Apr 28 |
| 1979 | May 20 |
| 1980 | May 2 |
| 1981 | May 3 |
| 1982 | Apr 24 |
| 1986 | May 23 |
| 1988 | May 27 |
| 1989 | May 13 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 2 |
| 1992 | May 5 |
| 1994 | Apr 21 |
| 1995 | Apr 29 |
| 1996 | May 1 |
| 1999 | May 5 |
| 2000 | Apr 28 |
| 2001 | Apr 28 |
| 2002 | May 24 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2006 | Apr 11 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Apr 10 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 14 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 6 |
| 2016 | Apr 10 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 21 |
| 2023 | May 4 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
| 2025 | Apr 14 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 156 |
| 1960 | 159 |
| 1962 | 182 |
| 1963 | 143 |
| 1964 | 171 |
| 1965 | 155 |
| 1966 | 143 |
| 1967 | 152 |
| 1969 | 174 |
| 1970 | 149 |
| 1975 | 163 |
| 1976 | 143 |
| 1977 | 144 |
| 1978 | 162 |
| 1979 | 138 |
| 1981 | 152 |
| 1982 | 178 |
| 1988 | 131 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 178 |
| 1992 | 147 |
| 1994 | 179 |
| 1995 | 168 |
| 1999 | 134 |
| 2000 | 152 |
| 2001 | 150 |
| 2002 | 160 |
| 2003 | 162 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2010 | 178 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2013 | 185 |
| 2014 | 169 |
| 2015 | 193 |
| 2016 | 195 |
| 2017 | 198 |
| 2018 | 173 |
| 2019 | 197 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2021 | 177 |
| 2022 | 175 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 175 |
| 2025 | 191 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 19.3 °C |
| 1960 | 18.6 °C |
| 1962 | 18.6 °C |
| 1963 | 17.4 °C |
| 1964 | 17.5 °C |
| 1965 | 17.8 °C |
| 1966 | 17.5 °C |
| 1967 | 16.6 °C |
| 1970 | 19.2 °C |
| 1975 | 17.7 °C |
| 1976 | 17.4 °C |
| 1977 | 18.6 °C |
| 1978 | 18.3 °C |
| 1979 | 18.2 °C |
| 1982 | 18.4 °C |
| 1988 | 17.9 °C |
| 1989 | 18.2 °C |
| 1990 | 18.7 °C |
| 1991 | 19.7 °C |
| 1992 | 18.0 °C |
| 1994 | 18.7 °C |
| 1995 | 18.5 °C |
| 1996 | 18.2 °C |
| 1999 | 17.5 °C |
| 2000 | 19.3 °C |
| 2001 | 18.5 °C |
| 2002 | 20.1 °C |
| 2003 | 19.3 °C |
| 2005 | 19.1 °C |
| 2006 | 19.1 °C |
| 2008 | 19.4 °C |
| 2010 | 20.6 °C |
| 2011 | 19.8 °C |
| 2013 | 18.9 °C |
| 2014 | 19.3 °C |
| 2015 | 19.8 °C |
| 2016 | 20.4 °C |
| 2017 | 19.4 °C |
| 2018 | 19.9 °C |
| 2019 | 19.9 °C |
| 2020 | 18.7 °C |
| 2021 | 18.4 °C |
| 2022 | 19.0 °C |
| 2023 | 18.5 °C |
| 2024 | 19.5 °C |
| 2025 | 19.5 °C |
| 2026 | 20.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1959, Bryson City's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Oconaluftee (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.