USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31626 — Boston, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Quitman 2 NW, GA (185 ft), 13 miles east.
Updated
In Boston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Quitman 2 NW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 253 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 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Boston
Half of springs at Quitman 2 NW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 16, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 31 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 31 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 26, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 26%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 4 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Quitman 2 NW, 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 31626 →Compare Boston with another place →
Weather by month in Boston
July is the warmest month at Quitman 2 NW, GA, averaging 92°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 October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 71% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,378 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,695) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 952.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 37 | 97% | 12 | 114 |
| Feb | 67 | 41 | 95% | 5 | 158 |
| Mar | 74 | 47 | 71% | 2 | 335 |
| Apr | 80 | 52 | 10% | <1 | 481 |
| May | 87 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 799 |
| Oct | 81 | 55 | 7% | <1 | 557 |
| Nov | 72 | 45 | 77% | 3 | 280 |
| Dec | 65 | 40 | 95% | 10 | 150 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Quitman 2 NW, GA (185 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, Monticello 5 SE, FL, 20 miles south of Boston, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 7), a first frost 5 days later (November 23), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Boston, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Quitman 2 NW, GA, 13 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31626
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 31 – January 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 14 – January 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 31626 is 13 miles from Quitman 2 NW, GA, which stands at 185 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 31643 (Quitman). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31626 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.