USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38618 — Coldwater, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Senatobia, MS (240 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Coldwater, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 229 days (NOAA, Senatobia, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 229 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Coldwater
Half of springs at Senatobia, MS see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 5. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 5 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 229 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 64 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 2, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 86%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Senatobia, 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 38618 →Compare Coldwater with another place →
Weather by month in Coldwater
July is the warmest month at Senatobia, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,338 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,122) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 969. Precipitation totals 58.2 inches a year, most in April (6.1") and least in September (3.1"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 4.7 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 5.0 | 100% | 15 | 53 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.5 | 91% | 5 | 178 |
| Apr | 73 | 51 | 6.1 | 22% | <1 | 375 |
| May | 81 | 60 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 636 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Sep | 86 | 62 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 4.6 | 34% | 2 | 392 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.2 | 93% | 7 | 137 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.9 | 100% | 17 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Senatobia, MS (240 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, Hernando, MS, 8 miles northwest of Coldwater, has a last frost 8 days later (March 28), a first frost 1 day later (November 5), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Coldwater, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Senatobia, MS, 4.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38618
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 38618 is 5 miles from Senatobia, MS, which stands at 240 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 38668 (Senatobia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38618 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.