USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38659 — Potts Camp, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hickory Flat, MS (400 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Potts Camp, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Hickory Flat, MS).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 202 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
- 43%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Potts Camp
Half of springs at Hickory Flat, MS see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 25 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 October 28 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 80 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 12 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 20 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hickory Flat, 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 38659 →Compare Potts Camp with another place →
Weather by month in Potts Camp
July is the warmest month at Hickory Flat, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 28°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,788 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 39% of them (1,851) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 893. Precipitation totals 58.7 inches a year, most in December (6.2") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 5.1 | 100% | 21 | 27 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 5.5 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Mar | 64 | 38 | 5.7 | 99% | 10 | 135 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 5.6 | 72% | 2 | 310 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 5.3 | 3% | <1 | 563 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 85 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 661 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 3.7 | 62% | 2 | 355 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.1 | 100% | 11 | 108 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 6.2 | 100% | 18 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hickory Flat, MS (400 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, 13 miles northwest of Potts Camp, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 26), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Potts Camp, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Abbeville, MS, 13.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38659
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 38659 is 9 miles from Hickory Flat, MS, which stands at 400 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 38652 (New Albany). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38659 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.