USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 30577 — Toccoa, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Toccoa, GA (1,012 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Toccoa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Toccoa, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 233 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 46%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Toccoa
Half of springs at Toccoa, GA see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 56% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 51 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 5, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 59%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F59% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F59% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Toccoa, 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 30577 →Compare Toccoa with another place →
Weather by month in Toccoa
July is the warmest month at Toccoa, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,986 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,938) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 905. Precipitation totals 59.2 inches a year, most in December (5.8") and least in May (4.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 16 | 34 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.0 | 98% | 11 | 49 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 5.4 | 89% | 6 | 161 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 4.6 | 24% | 1 | 335 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.8 | 16% | <1 | 395 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.4 | 88% | 5 | 135 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.8 | 98% | 13 | 50 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Toccoa, GA (1,012 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, Cornelia, GA, 12 miles west of Toccoa and 458 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days later (March 30), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 6), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Toccoa, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Toccoa, GA, 1.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30577
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 30577 is 1 mile from Toccoa, GA, which stands at 1,012 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30577 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.