USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 30568 — Rabun Gap, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mountain City 2 SW, GA (3,464 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Rabun Gap, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Mountain City 2 SW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 191 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 2.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rabun Gap
Half of springs at Mountain City 2 SW, GA see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 4 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 October 25 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 11 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 214 days one year in ten and falls short of 170 one year in ten. On average 83 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 May 1, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 24 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mountain City 2 SW, 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 30568 →Compare Rabun Gap with another place →
Weather by month in Rabun Gap
July is the warmest month at Mountain City 2 SW, GA, averaging 77°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 26°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 90% of years and May still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,845 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 127 Georgia stations. 36% of them (1,034) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 592.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 100% | 21 | 7 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 11 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 100% | 11 | 52 |
| Apr | 64 | 42 | 90% | 3 | 159 |
| May | 69 | 50 | 16% | 0 | 311 |
| Jun | 74 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 494 |
| Jul | 77 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Aug | 76 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 72 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 404 |
| Oct | 65 | 45 | 74% | 1 | 185 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 100% | 9 | 55 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mountain City 2 SW, GA (3,464 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, Germany Valley, GA, 4 miles southwest of Rabun Gap and 632 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 1 day later (October 26), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Rabun Gap, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coweeta Exp Stn, NC, 7.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30568
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 30568 is 3 miles from Mountain City 2 SW, GA, which stands at 3,464 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30568 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.