USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30635 — Elberton, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elberton 2 N, GA (540 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Elberton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Elberton 2 N, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 209 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
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elberton
Half of springs at Elberton 2 N, GA see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 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 October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 85 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 12 days longer, to about April 18, and return around October 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Jan 17 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elberton 2 N, 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 30635 →Compare Elberton with another place →
Weather by month in Elberton
July is the warmest month at Elberton 2 N, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,682 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,813) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 891. Precipitation totals 49.5 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 4.4 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 4.2 | 99% | 17 | 38 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.6 | 98% | 11 | 135 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.5 | 66% | 3 | 301 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.3 | 54% | 2 | 339 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 3.9 | 98% | 14 | 99 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 4.6 | 99% | 19 | 39 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elberton 2 N, GA (540 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, Calhoun Falls, SC, 14 miles east of Elberton, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 8 days later (November 7), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Elberton, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elberton 2 N, GA, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30635
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 30635 is 2 miles from Elberton 2 N, GA, which stands at 540 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 30635 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.