USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30736 — Ringgold, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA (782 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Ringgold, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 23 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 205 days (NOAA, Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 205 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 Ringgold
Half of springs at Chickamauga Pk Larc, 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 23. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 23 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 October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 205 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 226 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 84 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 19, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 27 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 28 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 10 |
| 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 29 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chickamauga Pk Larc, 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 30736 →Compare Ringgold with another place →
Weather by month in Ringgold
July is the warmest month at Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 29°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 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,558 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,745) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 860. Precipitation totals 56.5 inches a year, most in January (5.6") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 5.6 | 100% | 22 | 31 |
| Feb | 56 | 32 | 5.1 | 100% | 16 | 47 |
| Mar | 64 | 37 | 5.0 | 99% | 11 | 121 |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 4.7 | 67% | 2 | 295 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 4.6 | 2% | 0 | 521 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 860 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 842 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 3.7 | 55% | 2 | 350 |
| Nov | 62 | 35 | 4.4 | 99% | 13 | 80 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 5.4 | 100% | 18 | 35 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA (782 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, Chattanooga Lovell Airport, TN, 9 miles north of Ringgold, has a last frost 13 days earlier (March 24), a first frost 10 days later (November 9), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Ringgold, 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, 4.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30736
| 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 30736 is 7 miles from Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA, which stands at 782 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30736 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.