USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31082 — Sandersville, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sandersville, GA (451 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Sandersville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Sandersville, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 241 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sandersville
Half of springs at Sandersville, GA see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 27, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 6 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 13 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 16 days later, around November 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 269 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 47 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 April 3, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 38%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 21 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sandersville, 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 31082 →Compare Sandersville with another place →
Weather by month in Sandersville
July is the warmest month at Sandersville, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 35°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 83% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,624 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (2,259) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 969. Precipitation totals 48.7 inches a year, most in August (5.1") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 35 | 4.4 | 100% | 15 | 72 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 4.1 | 98% | 10 | 86 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 4.8 | 83% | 5 | 221 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 3.3 | 23% | <1 | 394 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 650 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 3.1 | 10% | <1 | 456 |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 2.9 | 81% | 5 | 180 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 4.6 | 96% | 11 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sandersville, GA (451 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, 25 miles west of Sandersville, has a last frost 6 days later (March 25), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 9), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Sandersville, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sandersville, GA, 2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31082
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 31082 is 2 miles from Sandersville, GA, which stands at 451 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31082 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.