USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31555 — Odum, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Surrency, GA (200 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Odum, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 17 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 16, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Surrency, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 17
- First fall frost
- November 16
- Growing season
- 245 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Odum
Half of springs at Surrency, GA see their last 32°F night by March 17; only one in ten is past it by February 22, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 277 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 36 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 14 days longer, to about March 31, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 92% of winters and 16°F in 23%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Surrency, 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 31555 →Compare Odum with another place →
Weather by month in Odum
July is the warmest month at Surrency, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 39°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 76% of years and April still brings one in 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,314 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,652) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 961. Precipitation totals 45.7 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in November (2.3"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 39 | 3.6 | 97% | 11 | 128 |
| Feb | 67 | 40 | 3.4 | 93% | 6 | 147 |
| Mar | 73 | 46 | 3.9 | 76% | 3 | 312 |
| Apr | 80 | 52 | 2.6 | 19% | 1 | 483 |
| May | 86 | 59 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Oct | 81 | 55 | 2.7 | 13% | 1 | 553 |
| Nov | 71 | 45 | 2.3 | 76% | 5 | 271 |
| Dec | 66 | 40 | 3.8 | 96% | 9 | 161 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Surrency, GA (200 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, 16 miles southeast of Odum, has a last frost 7 days later (March 24), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 10), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Odum, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jesup 8 S, GA, 15.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31555
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 6 – January 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 16 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 31555 is 9 miles from Surrency, GA, which stands at 200 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31555 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.