USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31031 — Gordon, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Irwinton 4 WNW, GA (515 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Gordon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, Irwinton 4 WNW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 255 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
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gordon
Half of springs at Irwinton 4 WNW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 18, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 286 days one year in ten and falls short of 228 one year in ten. On average 35 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 17 days longer, to about March 29, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 34%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 23 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 26 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Irwinton 4 WNW, 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 31031 →Compare Gordon with another place →
Weather by month in Gordon
July is the warmest month at Irwinton 4 WNW, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 72% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,881 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,382) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 987. Precipitation totals 46.8 inches a year, most in August (4.8") and least in October (2.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 36 | 4.3 | 100% | 11 | 71 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 4.2 | 96% | 8 | 97 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 4.3 | 72% | 3 | 248 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 3.7 | 10% | <1 | 419 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 858 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Oct | 77 | 55 | 2.5 | 5% | <1 | 493 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 2.8 | 72% | 3 | 200 |
| Dec | 60 | 39 | 4.7 | 90% | 10 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Irwinton 4 WNW, GA (515 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, Milledgeville, GA, 14 miles north of Gordon, has a last frost 13 days later (March 25), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 9), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Gordon, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Irwinton 4 WNW, GA, 6.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31031
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 31031 is 7 miles from Irwinton 4 WNW, GA, which stands at 515 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31031 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.