USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38632 — Hernando, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hernando, MS (380 ft), under a mile southeast.
Updated
In Hernando, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Hernando, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hernando
Half of springs at Hernando, 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 12. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 202 one year in ten. On average 61 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 9 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hernando, 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 38632 →Compare Hernando with another place →
Weather by month in Hernando
July is the warmest month at Hernando, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 30°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,175 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 39% of them (2,032) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 942. Precipitation totals 56.5 inches a year, most in April (6.3") and least in August (3.4"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 4.2 | 100% | 18 | 30 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 5.0 | 100% | 13 | 49 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 5.5 | 92% | 6 | 161 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 6.3 | 36% | 1 | 353 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 619 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 712 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 4.1 | 26% | 1 | 391 |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 4.3 | 96% | 8 | 129 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.8 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hernando, MS (380 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, Senatobia, MS, 13 miles south of Hernando, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 20), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 4), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Hernando, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Arkabutla Dam, MS, 5.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38632
| 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 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 38632 is under a mile from Hernando, MS, which stands at 380 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38632 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.