USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31087 — Sparta, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Milledgeville, GA (368 ft), 19 miles southwest.
Updated
In Sparta, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Milledgeville, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 231 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sparta
Half of springs at Milledgeville, GA see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 60 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 12 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 51%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F51% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F51% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Milledgeville, 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 31087 →Compare Sparta with another place →
Weather by month in Sparta
July is the warmest month at Milledgeville, GA, averaging 93°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,652 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (2,247) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 984. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in March (4.8") and least in October (2.8"); 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 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 17 | 61 |
| Feb | 62 | 36 | 4.1 | 98% | 13 | 82 |
| Mar | 69 | 42 | 4.8 | 88% | 7 | 219 |
| Apr | 77 | 49 | 3.9 | 30% | 1 | 387 |
| May | 84 | 58 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Jun | 90 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 984 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 2.8 | 15% | <1 | 461 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 3.4 | 90% | 8 | 173 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 4.5 | 98% | 15 | 85 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Milledgeville, GA (368 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, Siloam 3N, GA, 21 miles north of Sparta and 327 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (March 27), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 8), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Sparta, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Milledgeville, GA, 18.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31087
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 31087 is 19 miles from Milledgeville, GA, which stands at 368 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31061 (Milledgeville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31087 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.