USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30040 — Cumming, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cumming 2N, GA (1,140 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Cumming, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Cumming 2N, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 214 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cumming
Half of springs at Cumming 2N, GA see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 214 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 67 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 30 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cumming 2N, GA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 30040 →Compare Cumming with another place →
Weather by month in Cumming
July is the warmest month at Cumming 2N, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,626 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,768) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 871. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in January (5.4") and least in September (4.0"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 5.4 | 100% | 19 | 28 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 5.2 | 99% | 14 | 40 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.2 | 94% | 9 | 132 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 4.3 | 63% | 1 | 291 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 4.0 | 34% | 1 | 350 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 4.4 | 96% | 8 | 107 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 5.2 | 99% | 15 | 44 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cumming 2N, GA (1,140 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Gainesville, GA, 19 miles east of Cumming, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 8 days later (November 12), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Cumming, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cumming 2N, GA, 2.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30040
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 30040 is 3 miles from Cumming 2N, GA, which stands at 1,140 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30043 (Lawrenceville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30040 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.