USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 38703 — Greenville, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenville Asos, MS (128 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Greenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by March 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 247 days (NOAA, Greenville Asos, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 247 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 24%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greenville
Half of springs at Greenville Asos, MS see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after March 30. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 30 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 247 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 272 days one year in ten and falls short of 223 one year in ten. On average 42 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 March 25, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 37%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F74% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 |
| 16°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 16 |
| 20°F74% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenville Asos, 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 38703 →Compare Greenville with another place →
Weather by month in Greenville
July is the warmest month at Greenville Asos, MS, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,858 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,372) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 48.9 inches a year, most in December (5.1") and least in August (2.8"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 35 | 4.5 | 100% | 14 | 59 |
| Feb | 58 | 38 | 4.7 | 98% | 9 | 86 |
| Mar | 66 | 45 | 4.7 | 74% | 3 | 224 |
| Apr | 75 | 54 | 5.0 | 8% | <1 | 424 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 980 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 4.2 | 12% | <1 | 471 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 4.0 | 87% | 5 | 173 |
| Dec | 55 | 37 | 5.1 | 98% | 11 | 77 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenville Asos, MS (128 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, Greenville, MS, 6 miles south of Greenville, has a last frost 1 day later (March 13), a first frost 2 days later (November 15).
When it snows in Greenville, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Greenville, MS, 6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38703
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 38703 is 4 miles from Greenville Asos, MS, which stands at 128 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38703 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.