USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39191 — Wesson, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS (600 ft), 9 miles northwest.
Updated
In Wesson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 14 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 14
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 245 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
- 7%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wesson
Half of springs at Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS see their last 32°F night by March 14; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 4 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 73% 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 13 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 273 days one year in ten and falls short of 219 one year in ten. On average 33 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 March 29, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 41%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 20°F75% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hazlehurst 5 SW, 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 39191 →Compare Wesson with another place →
Weather by month in Wesson
July is the warmest month at Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 80% of years and April still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,184 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,591) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 956. Precipitation totals 61.7 inches a year, most in January (6.2") and least in September (3.8"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 39 | 6.2 | 98% | 10 | 115 |
| Feb | 63 | 42 | 5.8 | 94% | 7 | 151 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 5.8 | 80% | 3 | 307 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 5.4 | 15% | <1 | 456 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 861 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Oct | 78 | 56 | 3.9 | 10% | <1 | 528 |
| Nov | 67 | 46 | 4.6 | 83% | 4 | 237 |
| Dec | 60 | 41 | 5.8 | 97% | 9 | 138 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS (600 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, Brookhaven City, MS, 12 miles south of Wesson and 165 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (March 17), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 12), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Wesson, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS, 8.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39191
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 3 – January 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 39191 is 9 miles from Hazlehurst 5 SW, MS, which stands at 600 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 39083 (Hazlehurst). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39191 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.