USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38858 — Nettleton, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Verona Exp Stn, MS (325 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Nettleton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Verona Exp Stn, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 4%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nettleton
Half of springs at Verona Exp Stn, MS see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 6 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 62 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 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 63%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Verona Exp Stn, 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 38858 →Compare Nettleton with another place →
Weather by month in Nettleton
July is the warmest month at Verona Exp Stn, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 33°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 88% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,654 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,256) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 59.3 inches a year, most in December (6.1") and least in September (3.8"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.2 | 100% | 18 | 47 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 5.3 | 100% | 14 | 66 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.6 | 88% | 6 | 206 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 5.5 | 24% | 1 | 395 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 4.4 | 18% | 1 | 440 |
| Nov | 65 | 41 | 4.6 | 91% | 7 | 158 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 6.1 | 99% | 16 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Verona Exp Stn, MS (325 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, Fulton 3 W, MS, 14 miles northeast of Nettleton, has a last frost 11 days later (April 1), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 31), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Nettleton, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Verona Exp Stn, MS, 9.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38858
| 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 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 38858 is 10 miles from Verona Exp Stn, MS, which stands at 325 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 38860 (Okolona). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38858 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.