USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39051 — Carthage, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carthage, MS (370 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Carthage, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Carthage, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Carthage
Half of springs at Carthage, MS see their last 32°F night by March 19; 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 2 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 38% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 14 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 208 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 15 days longer, to about April 3, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 60%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carthage, 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 39051 →Compare Carthage with another place →
Weather by month in Carthage
July is the warmest month at Carthage, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,731 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,311) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 973. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in April (6.3") 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 | 57 | 34 | 5.7 | 100% | 17 | 68 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 5.3 | 98% | 14 | 92 |
| Mar | 69 | 44 | 5.1 | 85% | 6 | 242 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 6.3 | 24% | 1 | 409 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 958 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 3.9 | 24% | 1 | 454 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 4.3 | 92% | 9 | 181 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.3 | 100% | 16 | 80 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carthage, MS (370 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, Kosciusko, MS, 19 miles north of Carthage, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 18), a first frost 4 days later (November 11), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Carthage, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Carthage, MS, 3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39051
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 39051 is 3 miles from Carthage, MS, which stands at 370 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39051 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.