USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30113 — Buchanan, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cedartown, GA (785 ft), 15 miles north.
Updated
In Buchanan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Cedartown, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 219 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
- 46%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Buchanan
Half of springs at Cedartown, GA see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 14 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 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 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 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 69 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 11, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 77%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cedartown, 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 30113 →Compare Buchanan with another place →
Weather by month in Buchanan
July is the warmest month at Cedartown, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 32°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,279 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (2,090) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 947. Precipitation totals 52.8 inches a year, most in March (5.3") and least in August (3.6"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 32 | 4.9 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 5.1 | 99% | 14 | 62 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.3 | 90% | 7 | 181 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 4.4 | 45% | 2 | 372 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 822 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | <1 | 718 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.6 | 34% | 2 | 406 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.4 | 96% | 10 | 129 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 5.0 | 99% | 16 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cedartown, GA (785 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, Carrollton, GA, 19 miles south of Buchanan and 210 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 1 day later (November 5), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Buchanan, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cedartown, GA, 14.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30113
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 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 30113 is 15 miles from Cedartown, GA, which stands at 785 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30125 (Cedartown). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30113 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.