When to plant in Graham, NC
Planting dates worked out from Graham's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Mar 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Nov 8
1 year in 10 by Oct 25
Frost-free days
216
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Burlington Fire Stn #5 · 4.4 km away · station 201 m, town 194 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 | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan 26 – Feb 2 | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 11 |
| Peas | — | Feb 16 – Mar 16 | Apr 12 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 2 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 9 – Apr 20 | May 8 |
| Beet | — | Mar 2 – Apr 13 | Apr 21 |
| Potato | — | Mar 9 – Mar 30 | May 18 |
| Kale | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 14 |
| Broccoli | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 2 – Mar 23 | May 1 |
| Cucumber | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 4 |
| Winter squash | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 2 – Mar 23 | May 31 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 25 – Nov 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Feb 16 – Mar 16 | Mar 26 |
| Basil | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 16 |
Graham'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 |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Mar 12 |
| 1954 | Mar 22 |
| 1955 | Mar 30 |
| 1956 | Mar 31 |
| 1957 | Mar 11 |
| 1958 | Mar 22 |
| 1959 | Mar 29 |
| 1960 | Apr 11 |
| 1961 | Mar 19 |
| 1962 | Apr 4 |
| 1963 | Mar 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 1 |
| 1965 | Apr 3 |
| 1966 | Apr 11 |
| 1967 | Mar 23 |
| 1968 | Mar 24 |
| 1969 | Mar 31 |
| 1970 | Mar 30 |
| 1971 | Mar 31 |
| 1972 | Apr 9 |
| 1973 | Apr 12 |
| 1974 | Apr 12 |
| 1975 | Mar 29 |
| 1976 | Apr 10 |
| 1977 | Apr 7 |
| 1978 | Mar 19 |
| 1979 | Mar 26 |
| 1980 | Mar 23 |
| 1981 | Apr 7 |
| 1982 | Apr 8 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | Apr 9 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | Apr 11 |
| 1987 | Apr 6 |
| 1989 | Apr 13 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 2 |
| 1992 | May 8 |
| 1993 | Mar 20 |
| 1994 | Mar 18 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | Apr 17 |
| 1997 | Apr 10 |
| 1998 | Mar 23 |
| 1999 | Mar 28 |
| 2003 | Mar 31 |
| 2004 | Mar 24 |
| 2006 | Mar 27 |
| 2010 | Mar 7 |
| 2011 | Mar 28 |
| 2013 | Mar 30 |
| 2016 | Mar 5 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 239 |
| 1954 | 223 |
| 1955 | 215 |
| 1956 | 224 |
| 1957 | 230 |
| 1958 | 230 |
| 1959 | 218 |
| 1960 | 196 |
| 1961 | 222 |
| 1962 | 203 |
| 1963 | 221 |
| 1964 | 193 |
| 1965 | 209 |
| 1966 | 206 |
| 1967 | 219 |
| 1968 | 216 |
| 1969 | 206 |
| 1970 | 230 |
| 1971 | 220 |
| 1972 | 193 |
| 1973 | 211 |
| 1974 | 176 |
| 1975 | 216 |
| 1976 | 197 |
| 1977 | 219 |
| 1978 | 257 |
| 1979 | 233 |
| 1980 | 233 |
| 1981 | 195 |
| 1982 | 211 |
| 1983 | 157 |
| 1984 | 175 |
| 1985 | 236 |
| 1986 | 190 |
| 1990 | 190 |
| 1991 | 216 |
| 1992 | 164 |
| 1993 | 226 |
| 1995 | 194 |
| 1996 | 199 |
| 1997 | 195 |
| 1998 | 228 |
| 2003 | 227 |
| 2010 | 249 |
| 2013 | 209 |
| 2016 | 252 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 23.4 °C |
| 1954 | 23.1 °C |
| 1955 | 22.6 °C |
| 1956 | 22.5 °C |
| 1957 | 23.2 °C |
| 1958 | 22.2 °C |
| 1959 | 22.5 °C |
| 1960 | 21.9 °C |
| 1961 | 20.7 °C |
| 1962 | 21.5 °C |
| 1963 | 21.0 °C |
| 1964 | 21.6 °C |
| 1965 | 22.2 °C |
| 1966 | 21.3 °C |
| 1967 | 20.8 °C |
| 1968 | 21.8 °C |
| 1969 | 21.4 °C |
| 1970 | 22.7 °C |
| 1971 | 21.6 °C |
| 1972 | 21.2 °C |
| 1974 | 21.3 °C |
| 1976 | 21.5 °C |
| 1977 | 22.7 °C |
| 1978 | 22.1 °C |
| 1979 | 21.5 °C |
| 1980 | 22.7 °C |
| 1981 | 21.7 °C |
| 1982 | 22.0 °C |
| 1983 | 21.8 °C |
| 1984 | 20.8 °C |
| 1985 | 21.2 °C |
| 1987 | 22.1 °C |
| 1989 | 21.2 °C |
| 1990 | 21.7 °C |
| 1991 | 22.5 °C |
| 1992 | 20.5 °C |
| 1993 | 23.0 °C |
| 1994 | 21.3 °C |
| 1995 | 22.2 °C |
| 1997 | 20.5 °C |
| 1998 | 22.8 °C |
| 1999 | 22.1 °C |
| 2001 | 21.7 °C |
| 2002 | 23.1 °C |
| 2004 | 22.5 °C |
| 2009 | 22.3 °C |
| 2010 | 24.0 °C |
| 2011 | 23.4 °C |
| 2013 | 21.3 °C |
| 2014 | 22.1 °C |
| 2015 | 22.8 °C |
| 2016 | 23.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1953, Graham's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Burlington Fire Stn #5 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.