USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30173 — Silver Creek, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rome, GA (685 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Silver Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 217 days (NOAA, Rome, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 217 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
- 24%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Silver Creek
Half of springs at Rome, GA see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 66 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 13, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rome, 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 30173 →Compare Silver Creek with another place →
Weather by month in Silver Creek
July is the warmest month at Rome, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 30°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,774 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,843) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 893. Precipitation totals 55.2 inches a year, most in March (5.4") and least in September (3.7"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 5.0 | 100% | 18 | 30 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 4.8 | 99% | 14 | 39 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 5.4 | 94% | 7 | 144 |
| Apr | 74 | 46 | 4.9 | 52% | 1 | 315 |
| May | 81 | 55 | 4.1 | 1% | 0 | 557 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 866 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 664 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.8 | 38% | 1 | 355 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 4.3 | 96% | 9 | 111 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.3 | 99% | 16 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rome, GA (685 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, Cedartown, GA, 8 miles southwest of Silver Creek, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 30), a first frost 1 day later (November 4), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Silver Creek, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rome, GA, 6.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30173
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 30173 is 7 miles from Rome, GA, which stands at 685 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 30165 (Rome). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30173 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.