USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31647 — Sparks, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tifton, GA (380 ft), 18 miles north.
Updated
In Sparks, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Tifton, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 254 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 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sparks
Half of springs at Tifton, GA see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 18, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 22 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 30 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 March 23, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 21%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 25 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tifton, 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 31647 →Compare Sparks with another place →
Weather by month in Sparks
July is the warmest month at Tifton, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 37°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,879 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,402) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 933. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in May (2.7"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 4.1 | 98% | 11 | 88 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 4.4 | 91% | 6 | 127 |
| Mar | 69 | 46 | 4.8 | 73% | 3 | 257 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 3.3 | 6% | <1 | 414 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 830 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 765 |
| Oct | 77 | 55 | 2.8 | 9% | 0 | 501 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 3.2 | 67% | 3 | 226 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 4.2 | 94% | 8 | 133 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tifton, GA (380 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, Moultrie 2 ESE, GA, 19 miles west of Sparks, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 6), a first frost 8 days later (November 27), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Sparks, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Tifton, GA, 18.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31647
| 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 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 31647 is 18 miles from Tifton, GA, which stands at 380 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31794 (Tifton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31647 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.