USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 38751 — Indianola, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Moorhead, MS (117 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Indianola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, Moorhead, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 255 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
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Indianola
Half of springs at Moorhead, MS see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 17, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 20 20%, and after March 27 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 38% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 20 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 281 days one year in ten and falls short of 231 one year in ten. On average 35 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 14 days longer, to about March 22, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 36%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F73% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Jan 2 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 20°F73% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Moorhead, 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 38751 →Compare Indianola with another place →
Weather by month in Indianola
July is the warmest month at Moorhead, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,947 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,390) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 992. Precipitation totals 55.9 inches a year, most in April (6.2") and least in August (3.1"); May to September bring 35% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 35 | 5.1 | 100% | 13 | 56 |
| Feb | 57 | 39 | 5.4 | 95% | 7 | 87 |
| Mar | 65 | 46 | 5.5 | 67% | 2 | 231 |
| Apr | 74 | 55 | 6.2 | 5% | <1 | 432 |
| May | 82 | 64 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 704 |
| Jun | 88 | 71 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 802 |
| Oct | 77 | 55 | 3.9 | 4% | <1 | 505 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 4.7 | 74% | 3 | 187 |
| Dec | 55 | 38 | 5.7 | 96% | 10 | 81 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Moorhead, MS (117 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, Stoneville Exp Stn, MS, 15 miles west of Indianola, has a last frost 3 days later (March 11), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 16), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Indianola, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Moorhead, MS, 8.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38751
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 38751 is 9 miles from Moorhead, MS, which stands at 117 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38751 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.