USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31650 — Willacoochee, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Douglas, GA (233 ft), 14 miles northeast.
Updated
In Willacoochee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 26, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 267 days (NOAA, Douglas, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 26
- Growing season
- 267 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Willacoochee
Half of springs at Douglas, GA see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 8, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 24 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 26 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around December 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 12, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 267 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 299 days one year in ten and falls short of 239 one year in ten. On average 33 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 19, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 12%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 17 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Douglas, 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 31650 →Compare Willacoochee with another place →
Weather by month in Willacoochee
July is the warmest month at Douglas, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 86% of years and March still brings one in 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,352 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,658) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 987.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 96% | 12 | 108 |
| Feb | 64 | 41 | 86% | 6 | 142 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 59% | 2 | 303 |
| Apr | 79 | 53 | 2% | <1 | 476 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 799 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 2% | <1 | 544 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 59% | 3 | 252 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 88% | 9 | 143 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Douglas, GA (233 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, Pridgen, GA, 23 miles north of Willacoochee, has a last frost 7 days later (March 12), a first frost 9 days earlier (November 17), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Willacoochee, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Douglas, GA, 14.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31650
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 26 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 31650 is 14 miles from Douglas, GA, which stands at 233 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31533 (Douglas). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31650 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.