USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30643 — Hartwell, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hartwell, GA (805 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Hartwell, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Hartwell, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 241 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 Hartwell
Half of springs at Hartwell, GA see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 6 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 15 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 270 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 49 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 3, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 29 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hartwell, 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 30643 →Compare Hartwell with another place →
Weather by month in Hartwell
July is the warmest month at Hartwell, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 October 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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,950 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,935) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 911. Precipitation totals 51.9 inches a year, most in March (4.9") and least in April (3.5"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 31 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 99% | 11 | 45 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 4.9 | 89% | 5 | 159 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 3.5 | 21% | <1 | 335 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Sep | 82 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 681 |
| Oct | 72 | 52 | 3.8 | 8% | <1 | 380 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 4.1 | 80% | 4 | 124 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 4.9 | 97% | 12 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hartwell, GA (805 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, Hartwell Dam, GA, 5 miles east of Hartwell, has a last frost 5 days later (March 25), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 12), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Hartwell, 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, 16.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30643
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 30643 is 1 mile from Hartwell, GA, which stands at 805 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30643 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.