USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 30824 — Thomson, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Thomson 1.5SE, GA (542 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Thomson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 14 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 252 days (NOAA, Thomson 1.5SE, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 14
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 252 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Thomson
Half of springs at Thomson 1.5SE, GA see their last 32°F night by March 14; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after March 31 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 17 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 252 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 281 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 30 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 March 27, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 32%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Thomson 1.5SE, 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 30824 →Compare Thomson with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Warrenton, GA, 9 miles southwest of Thomson, has a last frost 15 days later (March 29), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 7), a season 27 days shorter.
When it snows in Thomson, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Warrenton, GA, 9.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 30824
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 3 – January 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 30824 is 3 miles from Thomson 1.5SE, GA, which stands at 542 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 30824 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.