USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 30817 — Lincolnton, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mccormick, SC (507 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lincolnton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 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 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Mccormick, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- 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 Lincolnton
Half of springs at Mccormick, SC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% 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 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 11 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 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 58 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 10 days longer, to about April 7, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 70%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mccormick, SC, 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 30817 →Compare Lincolnton with another place →
Weather by month in Lincolnton
July is the warmest month at Mccormick, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 33°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 5,330 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 127 Georgia stations. 39% of them (2,098) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 33 | 100% | 18 | 54 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 99% | 12 | 59 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 96% | 8 | 174 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 36% | <1 | 361 |
| May | 83 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 618 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 27% | <1 | 420 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 91% | 7 | 132 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 99% | 13 | 59 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mccormick, SC (507 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, Appling 2 NW, GA, 16 miles south of Lincolnton, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 27), the same first-frost date.
When it snows in Lincolnton, 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, 15.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30817
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 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 30817 is 13 miles from Mccormick, SC, which stands at 507 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 30817 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.