USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39212 — Jackson, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jackson Hawkins Field, MS (342 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Jackson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 6 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 258 days (NOAA, Jackson Hawkins Field, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 6
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 258 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jackson
Half of springs at Jackson Hawkins Field, MS see their last 32°F night by March 6; only one in ten is past it by February 15, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 24 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 19 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 258 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 289 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 32 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 March 20, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 92% of winters and 16°F in 21%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jackson Hawkins Field, 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 39212 →Compare Jackson with another place →
Weather by month in Jackson
July is the warmest month at Jackson Hawkins Field, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,348 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,635) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,009. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in April (5.3") and least in September (3.3"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 38 | 5.1 | 100% | 11 | 94 |
| Feb | 62 | 41 | 4.4 | 92% | 6 | 133 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 4.8 | 65% | 1 | 297 |
| Apr | 77 | 55 | 5.3 | 3% | 0 | 470 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 1009 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Sep | 88 | 68 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 3.6 | 4% | 0 | 530 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 4.2 | 74% | 3 | 218 |
| Dec | 60 | 40 | 4.7 | 95% | 9 | 119 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jackson Hawkins Field, MS (342 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, Jackson International Airport, MS, 12 miles northeast of Jackson, has a last frost 8 days later (March 14), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 14), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Jackson, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Oakley Exp Stn, MS, 14.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39212
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 26 – January 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 39212 is 8 miles from Jackson Hawkins Field, MS, which stands at 342 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39056 (Clinton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39212 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.