USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30248 — Locust Grove, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA (708 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Locust Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 220 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
- 39%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Locust Grove
Half of springs at Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 68 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 11 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 71%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mcdonough 5 ENE, 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 30248 →Compare Locust Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Locust Grove
July is the warmest month at Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,155 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (2,034) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 944. Precipitation totals 51.2 inches a year, most in March (5.4") and least in May (3.3"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 19 | 43 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 43 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 5.4 | 91% | 7 | 168 |
| Apr | 76 | 47 | 3.8 | 46% | 1 | 352 |
| May | 83 | 56 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 612 |
| Jun | 89 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 703 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.5 | 27% | 1 | 383 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.7 | 95% | 8 | 116 |
| Dec | 56 | 34 | 4.7 | 99% | 17 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA (708 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, Experiment, GA, 12 miles southwest of Locust Grove and 226 feet higher, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 20), a first frost 7 days later (November 13), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in Locust Grove, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jonesboro, GA, 18.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30248
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 30248 is 10 miles from Mcdonough 5 ENE, GA, which stands at 708 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 30253 (Mcdonough). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30248 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.