Section A will typically be located north of B sections. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map was last updated in 2012 and was calculated for the lowest temperatures recorded between 1976 and 2005. There are three zones (6, 7, 8) in North Carolina that increase as you move east across the state. Most of the mountains are in zone 6, while the piedmont and the northeastern coastal plain region are in zone 7. The southeast area of the state is in zone 8.