USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 39095 — Lexington, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lexington, MS (285 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Lexington, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, Lexington, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 218 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lexington
Half of springs at Lexington, MS see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 71% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 60 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 11, and return around October 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 89%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lexington, 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 39095 →Compare Lexington with another place →
Weather by month in Lexington
July is the warmest month at Lexington, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 31°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,163 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,046) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 908. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in April (6.4") and least in August (2.7"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 5.4 | 100% | 16 | 47 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 5.8 | 100% | 13 | 67 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.8 | 95% | 6 | 187 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 6.4 | 46% | 1 | 350 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 887 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 706 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 4.1 | 44% | 1 | 409 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 4.1 | 97% | 8 | 145 |
| Dec | 56 | 33 | 5.9 | 100% | 15 | 62 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lexington, MS (285 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, 17 miles south of Lexington, has a last frost 17 days earlier (March 14), a first frost 7 days later (November 8), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Lexington, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pickens, MS, 16.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39095
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 39095 is 2 miles from Lexington, MS, which stands at 285 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 39095 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.