USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39153 — Raleigh, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Raleigh 6N, MS (446 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Raleigh, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Raleigh 6N, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 3
- 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Raleigh
Half of springs at Raleigh 6N, MS see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 15 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 12 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 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 59 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 10, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 64%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Raleigh 6N, 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 39153 →Compare Raleigh with another place →
Weather by month in Raleigh
July is the warmest month at Raleigh 6N, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 33°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,281 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,138) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 901. Precipitation totals 61.6 inches a year, most in February (6.0") and least in May (4.2"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 5.6 | 100% | 17 | 66 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 6.0 | 98% | 12 | 89 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 5.9 | 91% | 5 | 209 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.9 | 42% | 1 | 365 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Oct | 77 | 50 | 4.3 | 39% | 1 | 412 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.7 | 93% | 8 | 158 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.9 | 100% | 15 | 87 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Raleigh 6N, MS (446 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, Forest, MS, 23 miles north of Raleigh, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day earlier (November 2).
When it snows in Raleigh, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Raleigh 6N, MS, 8.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39153
| 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 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 39153 is 8 miles from Raleigh 6N, MS, which stands at 446 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 39117 (Morton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39153 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.