National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

 

Wilmington, North Carolina Spring and Fall Freeze Statistics

 

Wilmington's average date for the last spring freeze is  March 17

 

Spring freeze statistics sorted by probability

Probability Date
1% Feb 9
5% Feb 19
10% Feb 25
25% Mar 6
50% Mar 17
75% Mar 28
90% Apr 6
95% Apr 12
99% Apr 23

 

 

 

 

Earliest last spring freeze: January 26, 1921

Latest last spring freeze: April 21, 1983

 

 

 

Spring freeze statistics sorted by date

Date Probability
Jan 25 0.1%
Feb 1 0.2%
Feb 5 0.5%
Feb 10 1.2%
Feb 15 2.6%
Feb 20 5.2%
Feb 25 9.5%
Mar 1 14.5%
Mar 5 21.1%
Mar 10 31.5%
Mar 15 43.5%
Mar 20 56.1%
Mar 25 68.2%
Mar 30 78.5%
Apr 5 88.0%
Apr 10 93.2%
Apr 15 96.5%
Apr 20 98.3%
Apr 25 99.3%
Apr 30 99.7%
May 5 99.9%
May 10 100.0%

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Freeze probabilities for Wilmington, NC

Observed spring freeze dates 1950-2020 in Wilmington, NC

Since 1950, the date of  Wilmington's last spring freeze has shifted 0.2 days earlier per decade

 

 

 

Wilmington's average date for the first fall freeze is  November 18

 

Fall freeze statistics sorted by probability

Probability Date
1% Oct 21
5% Oct 29
10% Nov 2
25% Nov 10
50% Nov 18
75% Nov 26
90% Dec 3
95% Dec 8
99% Dec 16

 

 

 

 

Earliest first fall freeze: October 16, 1876

Latest first fall freeze: December 29, 1918

 

 

 

Fall freeze statistics sorted by date

Date Probability
Oct 1 0.0%
Oct 5 0.0%
Oct 10 0.1%
Oct 15 0.2%
Oct 20 0.8%
Oct 25 2.3%
Nov 1 7.7%
Nov 5 13.6%
Nov 10 24.6%
Nov 15 39.1%
Nov 20 55.4%
Nov 25 70.8%
Nov 30 83.1%
Dec 5 91.5%
Dec 10 96.3%
Dec 15 98.6%
Dec 20 99.5%
Dec 25 99.9%
Dec 30 100.0%

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Freeze probabilities for Wilmington, NC

Observed fall freeze dates 1950-2020 in Wilmington, NC

Since 1950, the date of  Wilmington's first fall freeze has shifted 1.3 days later per decade

 

 

 

Wilmington's average growing season length is  244 days

 

Growing season statistics sorted by probability

Probability Days
1% 292
5% 278
10% 271
25% 258
50% 244
75% 231
90% 218
95% 211
99% 197

 

 

 

 

Shortest growing season: 192 days in 2001

Longest growing season: 301 days in 1909

 

 

 

Growing season statistics sorted by days

Days Probability
160 100.0%
170 100.0%
180 99.9%
190 99.6%
200 98.5%
210 95.4%
220 88.4%
225 82.9%
230 76.0%
235 67.7%
240 58.5%
245 48.8%
250 39.2%
255 30.1%
260 22.2%
270 10.5%
280 4.0%
290 1.3%
300 0.3%

 

 

 

 

 

Growing season length probabilities for Wilmington, NC

Observed growing season lengths from 1950-2020 in Wilmington, NC

Since 1950, Wilmington's growing season has become 1.2 days longer per decade

 

 

 

Research and Page Author: Tim Armstrong and Vicky Oliva
Last Updated: September 13, 2026