USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38878 — Vardaman, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Calhoun City, MS (268 ft), 8 miles west.
Updated
In Vardaman, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Calhoun City, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Vardaman
Half of springs at Calhoun City, MS see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 64 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 11 days longer, to about April 8, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Calhoun City, 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 38878 →Compare Vardaman with another place →
Weather by month in Vardaman
July is the warmest month at Calhoun City, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 32°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,506 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,205) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 963. Precipitation totals 58.0 inches a year, most in April (6.2") and least in September (3.6"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 17 | 49 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 5.2 | 100% | 13 | 76 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 5.3 | 91% | 7 | 209 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 6.2 | 39% | 1 | 391 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 963 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 3.6 | 31% | 1 | 437 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.9 | 94% | 8 | 151 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 6.0 | 100% | 16 | 66 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Calhoun City, MS (268 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, Houston, MS, 11 miles east of Vardaman, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 4 days earlier (November 1), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Vardaman, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Houston, MS, 11.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38878
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 38878 is 8 miles from Calhoun City, MS, which stands at 268 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 38916 (Calhoun City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38878 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.