USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 31773 — Ochlocknee, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cairo 1SW, GA (201 ft), 12 miles southwest.
Updated
In Ochlocknee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, Cairo 1SW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 255 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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ochlocknee
Half of springs at Cairo 1SW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 31 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 21 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 229 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 16 days longer, to about March 27, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 25 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F60% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 12 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cairo 1SW, 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 31773 →Compare Ochlocknee with another place →
Weather by month in Ochlocknee
August is the warmest month at Cairo 1SW, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 38°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,342 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,645) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 953. Precipitation totals 51.0 inches a year, most in June (7.1") and least in May (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 38 | 4.6 | 99% | 12 | 118 |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 4.0 | 95% | 7 | 159 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 76% | 2 | 305 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 3.2 | 9% | 0 | 468 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 953 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 3.1 | 5% | 0 | 564 |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 3.2 | 67% | 2 | 278 |
| Dec | 64 | 41 | 3.9 | 93% | 8 | 155 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cairo 1SW, GA (201 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, 17 miles northwest of Ochlocknee, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 10), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 18), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Ochlocknee, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cairo 1SW, GA, 11.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31773
| 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 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 31773 is 12 miles from Cairo 1SW, GA, which stands at 201 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31792 (Thomasville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31773 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.