USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30739 — Rock Spring, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chickamauga 2 SW, GA (799 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
In Rock Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 232 days (NOAA, Chickamauga 2 SW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 232 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 Rock Spring
Half of springs at Chickamauga 2 SW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 232 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 76 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 7, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 66%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chickamauga 2 SW, 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 30739 →Compare Rock Spring with another place →
Weather by month in Rock Spring
July is the warmest month at Chickamauga 2 SW, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 September 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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,986 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (1,935) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 907. Precipitation totals 57.0 inches a year, most in December (5.9") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 5.3 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 5.3 | 99% | 15 | 48 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.6 | 89% | 10 | 157 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 5.2 | 32% | 2 | 336 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 700 |
| Oct | 73 | 51 | 3.3 | 20% | 2 | 386 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 5.1 | 87% | 11 | 123 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 5.9 | 99% | 17 | 44 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chickamauga 2 SW, GA (799 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, Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA, 9 miles north of Rock Spring, has a last frost 12 days later (April 6), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 30), a season 27 days shorter.
When it snows in Rock Spring, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Chickamauga Park, GA, 7.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30739
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 30739 is 6 miles from Chickamauga 2 SW, GA, which stands at 799 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30728 (La Fayette). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30739 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.