USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 30814 — Harlem, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Appling 2 NW, GA (396 ft), 9 miles north.
Updated
In Harlem, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Appling 2 NW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 226 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Harlem
Half of springs at Appling 2 NW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 226 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 251 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 66 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 8, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 62%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Appling 2 NW, 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 30814 →Compare Harlem with another place →
Weather by month in Harlem
July is the warmest month at Appling 2 NW, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,414 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (2,159) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 956.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 51 |
| Feb | 61 | 36 | 99% | 13 | 71 |
| Mar | 69 | 41 | 92% | 8 | 202 |
| Apr | 76 | 49 | 36% | 1 | 381 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 629 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 24% | 1 | 438 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 92% | 9 | 154 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 99% | 17 | 66 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Appling 2 NW, GA (396 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, Thomson 1.5SE, GA, 10 miles west of Harlem, has a last frost 13 days earlier (March 14), a first frost 10 days later (November 17), a season 26 days longer.
When it snows in Harlem, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Appling 2 NW, GA, 9.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30814
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 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 30814 is 9 miles from Appling 2 NW, GA, which stands at 396 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 30814 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.