USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31015 — Cordele, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cordele, GA (308 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Cordele, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 248 days (NOAA, Cordele, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 248 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
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cordele
Half of springs at Cordele, GA see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 14 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 29; 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 248 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 278 days one year in ten and falls short of 223 one year in ten. On average 31 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 15 days longer, to about March 28, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 34%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F71% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 24 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 29 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 20°F71% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cordele, 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 31015 →Compare Cordele with another place →
Weather by month in Cordele
July is the warmest month at Cordele, GA, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,202 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,597) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,003. Precipitation totals 50.1 inches a year, most in December (5.0") and least in October (2.6"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 4.7 | 99% | 11 | 89 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 4.3 | 95% | 6 | 119 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 4.9 | 74% | 2 | 278 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 4.4 | 9% | <1 | 473 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 1003 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 2.6 | 9% | <1 | 515 |
| Nov | 69 | 44 | 3.2 | 81% | 3 | 219 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 5.0 | 96% | 9 | 111 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cordele, GA (308 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, Ashburn 3 ENE, GA, 20 miles southeast of Cordele, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 11), a first frost 6 days later (November 20), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Cordele, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cordele, GA, 2.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31015
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 31015 is 2 miles from Cordele, GA, which stands at 308 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 31015 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.