USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31804 — Cataula, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Columbus #2, GA (435 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Cataula, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Columbus #2, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 238 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 15%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cataula
Half of springs at Columbus #2, GA see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 9 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 11 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 26, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 265 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 46 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 April 3, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 53%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Columbus #2, 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 31804 →Compare Cataula with another place →
Weather by month in Cataula
July is the warmest month at Columbus #2, GA, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 84% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,599 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (2,238) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959. Precipitation totals 51.8 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 33 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 62 |
| Feb | 62 | 36 | 4.9 | 98% | 10 | 80 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 5.2 | 84% | 4 | 211 |
| Apr | 77 | 49 | 4.2 | 23% | <1 | 389 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 3.1 | 11% | <1 | 469 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 4.2 | 88% | 4 | 171 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 5.2 | 97% | 12 | 84 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Columbus #2, GA (435 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, Columbus Metro Airport, GA, 10 miles south of Cataula, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 5), a first frost 12 days later (November 23), a season 27 days longer.
When it snows in Cataula, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Columbus #2, GA, 9.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31804
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 31804 is 10 miles from Columbus #2, GA, which stands at 435 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 31907 (Columbus). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31804 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.