USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31543 — Hortense, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Nahunta 6NE, GA (68 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Hortense, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Nahunta 6NE, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 236 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
- 4%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hortense
Half of springs at Nahunta 6NE, GA see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 83% 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 15 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, longer than at 51% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 267 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 40 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 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 32%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 8 |
| 16°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Nahunta 6NE, 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 31543 →Compare Hortense with another place →
Weather by month in Hortense
July is the warmest month at Nahunta 6NE, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 37°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,026 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,442) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 37 | 100% | 13 | 116 |
| Feb | 66 | 39 | 96% | 8 | 138 |
| Mar | 72 | 44 | 88% | 4 | 269 |
| Apr | 78 | 50 | 34% | <1 | 423 |
| May | 85 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 11% | <1 | 530 |
| Nov | 71 | 45 | 86% | 4 | 262 |
| Dec | 64 | 39 | 97% | 10 | 147 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Nahunta 6NE, GA (68 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, Jesup 8 S, GA, 13 miles north of Hortense, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 24), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 10), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Hortense, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Nahunta 6NE, GA, 4.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31543
| 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 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 31543 is 5 miles from Nahunta 6NE, GA, which stands at 68 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31543 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.