USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30121 — Cartersville, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cartersville, GA (789 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Cartersville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 197 days (NOAA, Cartersville, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 197 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cartersville
Half of springs at Cartersville, GA see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 26 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 October 26 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 197 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 one year in ten. On average 70 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 23, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 19 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cartersville, 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 30121 →Compare Cartersville with another place →
Weather by month in Cartersville
July is the warmest month at Cartersville, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 28°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,723 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,812) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 873.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 28 | 100% | 18 | 27 |
| Feb | 58 | 31 | 100% | 14 | 42 |
| Mar | 67 | 37 | 99% | 8 | 137 |
| Apr | 75 | 45 | 80% | 1 | 305 |
| May | 81 | 54 | 4% | 0 | 551 |
| Jun | 88 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Jul | 91 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Aug | 90 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 76 | 46 | 71% | 1 | 360 |
| Nov | 65 | 36 | 99% | 10 | 109 |
| Dec | 56 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cartersville, GA (789 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, Allatoona Dam 2, GA, 4 miles southeast of Cartersville and 186 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 2), a first frost 9 days later (November 4), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Cartersville, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cartersville #2, GA, 1.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30121
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 30121 is 1 mile from Cartersville, GA, which stands at 789 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30120 (Cartersville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30121 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.