USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 31816 — Manchester, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Talbotton, GA (620 ft), 13 miles southeast.
Updated
In Manchester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Talbotton, GA).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 216 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 9%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Manchester
Half of springs at Talbotton, GA see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 83% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 54 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 14, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 16 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Talbotton, 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 31816 →Compare Manchester with another place →
Weather by month in Manchester
July is the warmest month at Talbotton, GA, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,940 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 127 Georgia stations. 40% of them (1,969) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882. Precipitation totals 51.2 inches a year, most in December (5.2") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 4.4 | 100% | 15 | 46 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 4.9 | 99% | 11 | 70 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 5.1 | 95% | 6 | 184 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 4.1 | 52% | 1 | 330 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 575 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 2.9 | 39% | 1 | 372 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 95% | 7 | 139 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 5.2 | 99% | 14 | 61 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Talbotton, GA (620 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, Thomaston 4SE, GA, 20 miles east of Manchester, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 23), a first frost 9 days later (November 12), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Manchester, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Woodbury, GA, 8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31816
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 31816 is 13 miles from Talbotton, GA, which stands at 620 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31816 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.