USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30531 — Cornelia, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cornelia, GA (1,470 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In Cornelia, 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 6, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Cornelia, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cornelia
Half of springs at Cornelia, GA see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 62 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 13 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 83%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cornelia, 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 30531 →Compare Cornelia with another place →
Weather by month in Cornelia
July is the warmest month at Cornelia, GA, averaging 86°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,158 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,576) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 808. Precipitation totals 59.1 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in May (3.9"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 19 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 5.1 | 100% | 13 | 28 |
| Mar | 60 | 39 | 5.6 | 95% | 8 | 109 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 4.4 | 42% | 1 | 259 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 482 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Aug | 84 | 66 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Sep | 79 | 60 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 581 |
| Oct | 70 | 49 | 4.8 | 27% | <1 | 303 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 4.5 | 95% | 7 | 92 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 15 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cornelia, GA (1,470 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, Alto 4 SE, GA, 5 miles south of Cornelia and 552 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days later (April 4), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 4), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Cornelia, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cornelia, GA, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30531
| 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 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 30531 is under a mile from Cornelia, GA, which stands at 1,470 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 30531 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.