Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 8a

Frost Dates for 38611 — Byhalia, Mississippi

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Olive Branch, MS (385 ft), 11 miles northwest.

Updated

In Byhalia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Olive Branch, MS).

Last spring frost
March 26

50% probability

First fall frost
November 6

50% probability

Growing season
227 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
8a

10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night

First snow
January 28

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 7

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
95%

19 of 20 observed

Snow per year
2.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Byhalia

Half of springs at Olive Branch, MS see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 72 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 11 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMar 20Mar 27Mar 31Apr 3Apr 6Apr 9Apr 12Apr 17Apr 24
32°FMar 5Mar 13Mar 17Mar 22Mar 26Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 11
28°FFeb 23Feb 28Mar 6Mar 10Mar 14Mar 17Mar 21Mar 26Apr 2
24°FFeb 3Feb 11Feb 19Feb 26Mar 1Mar 5Mar 9Mar 14Mar 20
20°F98% of yrsJan 13Jan 24Jan 31Feb 5Feb 11Feb 19Feb 27Mar 3Mar 10
16°F82% of yrsJan 1Jan 10Jan 16Jan 22Jan 29Feb 1Feb 7Feb 17Mar 1
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
32°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
28°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
24°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18Dec 27
20°F98% of yrsNov 20Nov 29Dec 5Dec 12Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 17
16°F82% of yrsDec 4Dec 14Dec 23Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 19Feb 1

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Olive Branch, MS, 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 38611 →Compare Byhalia with another place →

Weather by month in Byhalia

July is the warmest month at Olive Branch, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 31°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 34% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 5,344 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 79% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 39% of them (2,110) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 975. Precipitation totals 59.2 inches a year, most in March (6.1") and least in August (3.6"); May to September bring 38% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Olive Branch, MS
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan50314.3100%2034
Feb55345.1100%1657
Mar64416.193%7163
Apr73506.034%1360
May82605.50%0642
Jun89684.90%0853
Jul91724.80%0975
Aug92703.60%0953
Sep85633.90%0717
Oct75504.426%2408
Nov63404.694%9131
Dec53346.0100%1850

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Olive Branch, MS (385 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, Holly Springs 4 N, MS, 14 miles east of Byhalia, has a last frost 11 days later (April 6), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 28), a season 21 days shorter.

Frost dates for 38642 (Lamar) →

When it snows in Byhalia, Mississippi

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Byhalia usually arrives around January 28, and the last of the season around February 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Germantown 4SE, TN, 15.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 47 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 38611

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Byhalia, Mississippi
WhenWhat to do
January 15 – January 29Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
January 29 – February 12Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
February 26 – March 12Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
March 26 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 14Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 23Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
November 6 onwardPlant 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 38611 is 11 miles from Olive Branch, MS, which stands at 385 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 38654 (Olive Branch). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38611 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.

Frost dates across Mississippi →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 8a places in Mississippi