USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31750 — Fitzgerald, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fitzgerald, GA (370 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Fitzgerald, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 25, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 268 days (NOAA, Fitzgerald, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 25
- Growing season
- 268 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 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fitzgerald
Half of springs at Fitzgerald, GA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 4, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 16 20%, and after March 22 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 25 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 268 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 299 days one year in ten and falls short of 241 one year in ten. On average 25 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 17, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 82% of winters and 16°F in 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F82% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 |
| 24°F82% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fitzgerald, 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 31750 →Compare Fitzgerald with another place →
Weather by month in Fitzgerald
July is the warmest month at Fitzgerald, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 39°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 86% of years and March still brings one in 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,298 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,619) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 47.6 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in May (2.6"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 39 | 4.1 | 96% | 10 | 102 |
| Feb | 64 | 41 | 3.8 | 86% | 4 | 132 |
| Mar | 71 | 47 | 4.6 | 53% | 1 | 297 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 470 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 962 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 3.0 | 3% | <1 | 545 |
| Nov | 69 | 46 | 2.8 | 62% | 2 | 248 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 4.9 | 91% | 8 | 127 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fitzgerald, GA (370 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, 19 miles east of Fitzgerald, has a last frost 10 days later (March 12), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 17), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Fitzgerald, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fitzgerald, GA, 0.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31750
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 25 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 31750 is under a mile from Fitzgerald, GA, which stands at 370 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31750 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.