USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38804 — Tupelo, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tupelo 2, MS (350 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Tupelo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 237 days (NOAA, Tupelo 2, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 237 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
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tupelo
Half of springs at Tupelo 2, MS see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 7 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 10 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 237 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 260 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 57 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 April 3, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 70%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tupelo 2, 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 38804 →Compare Tupelo with another place →
Weather by month in Tupelo
July is the warmest month at Tupelo 2, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,349 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 39% of them (2,107) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 956. Precipitation totals 58.0 inches a year, most in December (5.9") and least in September (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 | 32 | 5.1 | 100% | 18 | 38 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 5.3 | 99% | 13 | 61 |
| Mar | 64 | 43 | 5.3 | 87% | 5 | 172 |
| Apr | 73 | 51 | 5.2 | 23% | <1 | 369 |
| May | 81 | 60 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 726 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 4.1 | 15% | <1 | 418 |
| Nov | 63 | 41 | 4.4 | 92% | 6 | 141 |
| Dec | 54 | 35 | 5.9 | 100% | 15 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tupelo 2, MS (350 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, Tupelo Regional Airport, MS, 5 miles west of Tupelo, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Tupelo, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Tupelo 2, MS, 4.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38804
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 38804 is 5 miles from Tupelo 2, MS, which stands at 350 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38804 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.