USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31410 — Savannah, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Savannah International Airport, GA (46 ft), 15 miles northwest.
Updated
In Savannah, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 30, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 270 days (NOAA, Savannah International Airport, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 30
- Growing season
- 270 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Savannah
Half of springs at Savannah International Airport, GA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 4, and one in ten still has one after March 25. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 25 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 30 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past December 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 270 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 304 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 21 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 19, and return around November 16. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 78% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 26 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 4 |
| 20°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Savannah International 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 31410 →Compare Savannah with another place →
Weather by month in Savannah
July is the warmest month at Savannah International Airport, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 86% of years and March still brings one in 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,657 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,767) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,023. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in June (6.7") and least in November (2.4"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 95% | 9 | 127 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 2.8 | 86% | 4 | 162 |
| Mar | 71 | 49 | 3.5 | 52% | 2 | 326 |
| Apr | 78 | 55 | 3.4 | 4% | <1 | 502 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 1023 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 994 |
| Sep | 86 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Oct | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 1% | 0 | 584 |
| Nov | 70 | 48 | 2.4 | 52% | 1 | 290 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 3.2 | 85% | 6 | 169 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Savannah International Airport, GA (46 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, Beaufort Wwtp, SC, 31 miles northeast of Savannah, has a last frost 1 day later (March 3), a first frost 9 days later (December 9), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Savannah, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Savannah International Airport, GA, 14.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31410
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 30 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 31410 is 15 miles from Savannah International Airport, GA, which stands at 46 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 18 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31419 (Savannah). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31410 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.