USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31705 — Albany, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Albany 3 SE, GA (180 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Albany, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 10 in half of years and has passed by March 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 257 days (NOAA, Albany 3 SE, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 10
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 257 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 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albany
Half of springs at Albany 3 SE, GA see their last 32°F night by March 10; only one in ten is past it by February 13, and one in ten still has one after March 30. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 23 20%, and after March 30 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 257 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 293 days one year in ten and falls short of 231 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 13 days longer, to about March 23, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 32°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 26 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 25 |
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 12 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Albany 3 SE, 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 31705 →Compare Albany with another place →
Weather by month in Albany
July is the warmest month at Albany 3 SE, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to 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 88% of years and March still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,249 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,571) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 989. Precipitation totals 52.4 inches a year, most in August (5.7") and least in May (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 4.8 | 97% | 13 | 98 |
| Feb | 64 | 41 | 4.7 | 88% | 8 | 130 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 4.9 | 67% | 3 | 288 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 3.9 | 6% | <1 | 458 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 989 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 966 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 3.0 | 3% | <1 | 541 |
| Nov | 69 | 45 | 3.0 | 73% | 3 | 240 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 4.7 | 91% | 9 | 135 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albany 3 SE, GA (180 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, Albany SW Ga Regional Airport, GA, 6 miles west of Albany, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 8), a first frost 1 day later (November 21), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Albany, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Albany 3 SE, GA, 3.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31705
| 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 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 31705 is 3 miles from Albany 3 SE, GA, which stands at 180 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31705 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.