USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31321 — Pembroke, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brooklet 1 W, GA (180 ft), 15 miles north.
Updated
In Pembroke, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 7 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 257 days (NOAA, Brooklet 1 W, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 7
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 257 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pembroke
Half of springs at Brooklet 1 W, GA see their last 32°F night by March 7; only one in ten is past it by February 11, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 20 20%, and after March 27 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 21 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 257 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 288 days one year in ten and falls short of 231 one year in ten. On average 28 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 22, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 15%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 11 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F53% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F53% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 | Feb 14 |
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brooklet 1 W, 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 31321 →Compare Pembroke with another place →
Weather by month in Pembroke
July is the warmest month at Brooklet 1 W, GA, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 38°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 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,322 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,628) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 998. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in August (6.3") and least in October (2.6"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 3.6 | 99% | 11 | 104 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 3.8 | 91% | 5 | 131 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 3.7 | 65% | 2 | 289 |
| Apr | 79 | 53 | 3.3 | 4% | <1 | 472 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 2.6 | 4% | <1 | 542 |
| Nov | 70 | 45 | 2.7 | 69% | 2 | 251 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 3.4 | 92% | 7 | 136 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brooklet 1 W, GA (180 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, Fort Stewart, GA, 20 miles south of Pembroke, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 5), a first frost 8 days later (November 29), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Pembroke, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Brooklet 1 W, GA, 14.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31321
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 27 – January 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 31321 is 15 miles from Brooklet 1 W, GA, which stands at 180 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 30458 (Statesboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31321 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.