USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 30740 — Rocky Face, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dalton, GA (799 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Rocky Face, 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 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Dalton, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 214 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 Rocky Face
Half of springs at Dalton, GA see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 16, 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 15 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; 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 214 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 238 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 63 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 16, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dalton, 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 30740 →Compare Rocky Face with another place →
Weather by month in Rocky Face
July is the warmest month at Dalton, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 31°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 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,900 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 127 Georgia stations. 38% of them (1,880) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 904.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 100% | 14 | 39 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 97% | 8 | 156 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 54% | 1 | 318 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 570 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Oct | 75 | 49 | 37% | 1 | 378 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 98% | 8 | 124 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dalton, 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 2 SW, GA, 16 miles northwest of Rocky Face, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 25), a first frost 5 days later (November 9), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Rocky Face, 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, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30740
| 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 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 30740 is 10 miles from Dalton, GA, which stands at 799 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30721 (Dalton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30740 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.