USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38620 — Courtland, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Batesville 2 SW, MS (220 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
In Courtland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, Batesville 2 SW, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 218 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
- 7%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Courtland
Half of springs at Batesville 2 SW, MS see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 71% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 69 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 8, and return around October 25. 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 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Batesville 2 SW, 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 38620 →Compare Courtland with another place →
Weather by month in Courtland
July is the warmest month at Batesville 2 SW, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 70°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,276 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,087) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 939.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 40 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 92% | 8 | 174 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 39% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Sep | 87 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 77 | 50 | 42% | 2 | 418 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 98% | 9 | 146 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Batesville 2 SW, MS (220 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, Sardis Dam, MS, 13 miles northeast of Courtland, has a last frost 13 days earlier (March 15), a first frost 13 days later (November 15), a season 26 days longer.
When it snows in Courtland, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Enid Dam, MS, 5.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38620
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 38620 is 6 miles from Batesville 2 SW, MS, which stands at 220 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 38606 (Batesville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38620 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.