USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31523 — Brunswick, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brunswick, GA (13 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Brunswick, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 8 in half of years and has passed by March 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 25, as early as November 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 314 days (NOAA, Brunswick, GA).
- Last spring frost
- February 8
- First fall frost
- December 25
- Growing season
- 314 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Brunswick
Half of springs at Brunswick, GA see their last 32°F night by February 8; only one in ten is past it by January 9, and one in ten still has one after March 10. Planting tender crops after February 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 1 20%, and after March 10 10%. The 30 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest 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 December 25 in half of years, as early as November 26 one year in ten, and holds off past January 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around January 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 26, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 314 days in a typical year, the longest of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 348 days one year in ten and falls short of 278 one year in ten. On average 9 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 19 days longer, to about February 27, and return around December 4. A 24°F night is unusual: 33% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 28°F73% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| 24°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 |
| 28°F73% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 |
| 24°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brunswick, 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 31523 →Compare Brunswick with another place →
Weather by month in Brunswick
July is the warmest month at Brunswick, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 52% of years and March still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,955 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,925) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,017. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in August (7.0") and least in November (2.0"); May to September bring 55% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 44 | 3.5 | 78% | 4 | 155 |
| Feb | 64 | 47 | 3.1 | 52% | 2 | 192 |
| Mar | 70 | 53 | 3.8 | 20% | <1 | 362 |
| Apr | 76 | 59 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| May | 83 | 67 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jun | 88 | 73 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 1017 |
| Aug | 89 | 75 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Sep | 84 | 72 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Oct | 78 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Nov | 69 | 53 | 2.0 | 14% | <1 | 341 |
| Dec | 63 | 47 | 2.7 | 52% | 2 | 208 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brunswick, GA (13 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, Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, GA, 14 miles east of Brunswick, has a last frost 1 day later (February 9), a first frost 1 day later (December 26), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Brunswick, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Brunswick, GA, 7.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31523
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 30 – December 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 14 – December 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 25 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 31523 is 7 miles from Brunswick, GA, which stands at 13 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31525 (Brunswick). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31523 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.