USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39341 — Macon, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Macon 3N, MS (250 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Macon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Macon 3N, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 231 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Macon
Half of springs at Macon 3N, MS see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 58 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 April 5, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 67%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Macon 3N, 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 39341 →Compare Macon with another place →
Weather by month in Macon
July is the warmest month at Macon 3N, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 85% of years and April still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,420 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,172) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 939. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in April (5.8") and least in May (3.9"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 16 | 51 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 5.6 | 99% | 13 | 71 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.1 | 85% | 5 | 202 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.8 | 26% | 1 | 372 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.9 | 27% | 1 | 427 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 4.4 | 93% | 7 | 153 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 5.5 | 99% | 16 | 66 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Macon 3N, MS (250 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, Aliceville, AL, 25 miles east of Macon, has a last frost 3 days later (March 24), a first frost 1 day later (November 8), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Macon, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Macon 3N, MS, 3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39341
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 39341 is 3 miles from Macon 3N, MS, which stands at 250 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39341 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.