USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 31904 — Columbus, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Columbus Metro Airport, GA (392 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Columbus, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 265 days (NOAA, Columbus Metro Airport, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 265 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
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Columbus
Half of springs at Columbus Metro Airport, GA see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 11, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 24 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 23 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 265 days in a typical year, longer than at 89% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 295 days one year in ten and falls short of 238 one year in ten. On average 28 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 20, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 18%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 |
| 20°F54% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Columbus Metro Airport, 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 31904 →Compare Columbus with another place →
Weather by month in Columbus
July is the warmest month at Columbus Metro Airport, GA, averaging 93°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 38°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 90% of years and March still brings one in 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,420 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 127 Georgia stations. 41% of them (2,653) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,029. Precipitation totals 48.8 inches a year, most in March (4.9") and least in October (2.8"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 11 | 92 |
| Feb | 63 | 42 | 4.5 | 90% | 6 | 133 |
| Mar | 70 | 47 | 4.9 | 62% | 2 | 294 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 4.0 | 2% | 0 | 477 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 1029 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 1004 |
| Sep | 87 | 68 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Oct | 78 | 57 | 2.8 | 1% | 0 | 545 |
| Nov | 68 | 46 | 4.0 | 63% | 2 | 242 |
| Dec | 61 | 41 | 4.8 | 92% | 7 | 118 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Columbus Metro Airport, GA (392 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 #2, GA, 2 miles east of Columbus, has a last frost 16 days later (March 21), a first frost 12 days earlier (November 11), a season 27 days shorter.
When it snows in Columbus, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Columbus Metro Airport, GA, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 31904
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 31904 is 2 miles from Columbus Metro Airport, GA, which stands at 392 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 31904 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.