USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30656 — Monroe, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winder 4S, GA (889 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Monroe, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Winder 4S, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 219 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
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Monroe
Half of springs at Winder 4S, GA see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 97% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 242 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 59 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 15, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 80%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 15 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winder 4S, 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 30656 →Compare Monroe with another place →
Weather by month in Monroe
July is the warmest month at Winder 4S, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 32°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 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,868 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,876) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 885. Precipitation totals 50.9 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in December (2.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 5.0 | 100% | 16 | 27 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 4.4 | 98% | 12 | 46 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 5.2 | 97% | 8 | 161 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 4.3 | 59% | 1 | 314 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 866 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.4 | 21% | 1 | 386 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.0 | 93% | 7 | 143 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 2.5 | 98% | 15 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winder 4S, GA (889 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, U Of Ga Plt Sci, GA, 11 miles east of Monroe, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 1 day later (November 8), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Monroe, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Winder 4S, GA, 4.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30656
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 30656 is 5 miles from Winder 4S, GA, which stands at 889 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30052 (Loganville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30656 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.