USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31636 — Lake Park, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Valdosta Regional Airport, GA (198 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Lake Park, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 10 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 259 days (NOAA, Valdosta Regional Airport, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 10
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 259 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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake Park
Half of springs at Valdosta Regional Airport, GA see their last 32°F night by March 10; only one in ten is past it by February 15, 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 23 20%, and after March 31 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 21 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 259 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 292 days one year in ten and falls short of 229 one year in ten. On average 22 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 25, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 89% of winters and 16°F in 17%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 |
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 29 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Valdosta Regional 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 31636 →Compare Lake Park with another place →
Weather by month in Lake Park
August is the warmest month at Valdosta Regional Airport, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 71°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 April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,500 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,713) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 969. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in June (7.1") and least in November (2.5"); 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 | 3.8 | 98% | 9 | 132 |
| Feb | 67 | 42 | 3.3 | 92% | 4 | 173 |
| Mar | 73 | 47 | 3.7 | 66% | 2 | 326 |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 3.7 | 10% | 0 | 488 |
| May | 86 | 60 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 3.7 | 6% | 0 | 579 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 2.5 | 68% | 2 | 287 |
| Dec | 65 | 41 | 3.1 | 92% | 6 | 174 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Valdosta Regional Airport, GA (198 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, Valdosta 2 S, GA, 10 miles northwest of Lake Park, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 5), a first frost 6 days later (November 27), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Lake Park, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Valdosta Regional Airport, GA, 9.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31636
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 30 – January 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 13 – January 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 31636 is 10 miles from Valdosta Regional Airport, GA, which stands at 198 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31636 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.