USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39046 — Canton, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Canton 4N, MS (250 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Canton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Canton 4N, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Canton
Half of springs at Canton 4N, MS see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 253 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 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 4, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 68%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 17 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Canton 4N, 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 39046 →Compare Canton with another place →
Weather by month in Canton
July is the warmest month at Canton 4N, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 34°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,637 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 41% of them (2,286) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 961. Precipitation totals 57.0 inches a year, most in April (6.1") and least in August (3.8"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 5.2 | 100% | 16 | 74 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 4.9 | 99% | 12 | 86 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 5.7 | 87% | 5 | 234 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 6.1 | 26% | <1 | 397 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 4.3 | 32% | 1 | 451 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.6 | 93% | 8 | 168 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.0 | 99% | 15 | 86 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Canton 4N, MS (250 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, Pickens, MS, 19 miles north of Canton, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 14), a first frost 2 days later (November 8), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Canton, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Canton 4N, MS, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39046
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 39046 is 4 miles from Canton 4N, MS, which stands at 250 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39046 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.