USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31768 — Moultrie, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Moultrie 2 ESE, GA (340 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Moultrie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 6 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 268 days (NOAA, Moultrie 2 ESE, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 6
- First fall frost
- November 27
- 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 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Moultrie
Half of springs at Moultrie 2 ESE, GA see their last 32°F night by March 6; only one in ten is past it by February 5, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 21 20%, and after March 27 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 27 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 10 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 305 days one year in ten and falls short of 238 one year in ten. On average 21 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 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 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F44% 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 27 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 4 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 27 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 20°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Moultrie 2 ESE, 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 31768 →Compare Moultrie with another place →
Weather by month in Moultrie
July is the warmest month at Moultrie 2 ESE, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°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 80% of years and March still brings one in 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,272 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,629) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 955. Precipitation totals 50.1 inches a year, most in June (5.7") and least in May (2.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 4.8 | 96% | 9 | 114 |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 4.3 | 80% | 4 | 157 |
| Mar | 71 | 48 | 5.2 | 59% | 1 | 306 |
| Apr | 77 | 54 | 3.5 | 6% | 0 | 468 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Aug | 89 | 72 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Oct | 78 | 57 | 2.9 | 2% | 0 | 547 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 2.9 | 55% | 1 | 259 |
| Dec | 63 | 42 | 3.6 | 85% | 6 | 152 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Moultrie 2 ESE, GA (340 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, Camilla 3 SE, GA, 26 miles west of Moultrie and 165 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (March 10), a first frost 9 days earlier (November 18), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Moultrie, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Moultrie 2 ESE, GA, 1.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31768
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 26 – January 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 31768 is 2 miles from Moultrie 2 ESE, GA, which stands at 340 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31768 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.