USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 38921 — Charleston, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Minter City, MS (145 ft), 16 miles south.
Updated
In Charleston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 7 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Minter City, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 7
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 254 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
- 28%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Charleston
Half of springs at Minter City, MS see their last 32°F night by March 7; only one in ten is past it by February 15, 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 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 64% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 17 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 4; 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 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 46 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 21, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 35%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 3 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Minter 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 38921 →Compare Charleston with another place →
Weather by month in Charleston
July is the warmest month at Minter City, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 89% of years and March still brings one in 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,022 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 41% of them (2,461) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 60.7 inches a year, most in December (6.5") and least in August (3.5"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 36 | 5.3 | 99% | 14 | 57 |
| Feb | 58 | 39 | 6.1 | 89% | 9 | 87 |
| Mar | 67 | 46 | 5.4 | 64% | 3 | 244 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 6.2 | 6% | 1 | 452 |
| May | 84 | 64 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 731 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 889 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 989 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Oct | 77 | 54 | 3.5 | 9% | 1 | 490 |
| Nov | 65 | 44 | 5.7 | 75% | 5 | 191 |
| Dec | 56 | 38 | 6.5 | 97% | 14 | 86 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Minter City, MS (145 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, Lambert 1W, MS, 19 miles northwest of Charleston, has a last frost 10 days later (March 17), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 7), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Charleston, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Minter City, MS, 15.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38921
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 27 – January 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 38921 is 16 miles from Minter City, MS, which stands at 145 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38921 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.