USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30705 — Chatsworth, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chatsworth 2, GA (710 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Chatsworth, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 212 days (NOAA, Chatsworth 2, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 212 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chatsworth
Half of springs at Chatsworth 2, GA see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 212 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 75 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 15, and return around October 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 89%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chatsworth 2, 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 30705 →Compare Chatsworth with another place →
Weather by month in Chatsworth
July is the warmest month at Chatsworth 2, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,714 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,807) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882. Precipitation totals 57.5 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in October (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 | 51 | 30 | 4.9 | 100% | 20 | 34 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 4.7 | 99% | 15 | 41 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.3 | 95% | 8 | 135 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 55% | 2 | 303 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.6 | 2% | 0 | 542 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 857 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 660 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 44% | 2 | 354 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.6 | 96% | 11 | 108 |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 5.4 | 99% | 17 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chatsworth 2, GA (710 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, Dalton, GA, 6 miles west of Chatsworth, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days later (November 4), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Chatsworth, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ringgold 2 SE, GA, 19.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30705
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 30705 is under a mile from Chatsworth 2, GA, which stands at 710 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 30705 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.