USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39092 — Lake, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Forest, MS (450 ft), 5 miles northwest.
Updated
In Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Forest, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 221 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
- 24%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake
Half of springs at Forest, MS see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 56 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 April 11, and return around October 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 75%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 18 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Forest, 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 39092 →Compare Lake with another place →
Weather by month in Lake
July is the warmest month at Forest, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 34°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,455 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 41% of them (2,234) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 905.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 67 |
| Feb | 62 | 37 | 97% | 11 | 100 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 93% | 6 | 229 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 41% | 1 | 396 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 3% | 0 | 634 |
| Jun | 89 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Aug | 91 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 87 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 42% | 1 | 442 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 98% | 9 | 165 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 99% | 14 | 84 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Forest, MS (450 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, Newton Exp Stn, MS, 15 miles east of Lake, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 25), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Lake, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Forest, MS, 5.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39092
| 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 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 39092 is 5 miles from Forest, MS, which stands at 450 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39074 (Forest). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39092 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.