USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30523 — Clarkesville, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clarkesville, GA (1,370 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Clarkesville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 198 days (NOAA, Clarkesville, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 198 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
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clarkesville
Half of springs at Clarkesville, GA see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% 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 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 198 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 one year in ten. On average 93 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 14 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clarkesville, 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 30523 →Compare Clarkesville with another place →
Weather by month in Clarkesville
July is the warmest month at Clarkesville, GA, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 29°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 75% of years and May still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,253 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,606) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 834. Precipitation totals 61.8 inches a year, most in August (5.9") and least in April (4.5"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 5.8 | 100% | 21 | 21 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 5.3 | 100% | 18 | 26 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 5.5 | 99% | 11 | 107 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 4.5 | 75% | 4 | 259 |
| May | 79 | 53 | 4.5 | 10% | <1 | 497 |
| Jun | 85 | 61 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.7 | 69% | 3 | 295 |
| Nov | 62 | 36 | 4.9 | 98% | 15 | 79 |
| Dec | 54 | 31 | 5.9 | 100% | 21 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clarkesville, GA (1,370 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, Helen, GA, 12 miles west of Clarkesville, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days later (October 28), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Clarkesville, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clarkesville, GA, 6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30523
| 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 30523 is 6 miles from Clarkesville, GA, which stands at 1,370 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30523 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.