USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31210 — Macon, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA (343 ft), 15 miles south.
Updated
In Macon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 235 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Macon
Half of springs at Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 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 10 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 14 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 260 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 44 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 April 3, and return around November 1. 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 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 23 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, 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 31210 →Compare Macon with another place →
Weather by month in Macon
July is the warmest month at Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 86% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,077 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,495) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,007. Precipitation totals 47.0 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in October (2.6"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 4.3 | 100% | 13 | 83 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 4.2 | 96% | 8 | 116 |
| Mar | 71 | 45 | 4.3 | 86% | 4 | 266 |
| Apr | 78 | 51 | 3.6 | 23% | <1 | 436 |
| May | 86 | 60 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 710 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 975 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 2.6 | 16% | 1 | 500 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 3.4 | 90% | 6 | 209 |
| Dec | 61 | 38 | 4.6 | 98% | 12 | 105 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA (343 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, Warner Robins, GA, 20 miles south of Macon, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 11), a first frost 9 days later (November 19), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Macon, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA, 14.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31210
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 31210 is 15 miles from Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA, which stands at 343 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31210 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.