USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 39464 — Ovett, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Laurel, MS (225 ft), 14 miles north.
Updated
In Ovett, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 244 days (NOAA, Laurel, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 244 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
- 4%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ovett
Half of springs at Laurel, MS see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 22, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 64% of the 96 Mississippi stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 12 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 244 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 273 days one year in ten and falls short of 219 one year in ten. On average 41 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 16 days longer, to about March 28, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 48%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Laurel, 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 39464 →Compare Ovett with another place →
Weather by month in Ovett
July is the warmest month at Laurel, MS, averaging 93°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 76% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,139 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,552) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 984. Precipitation totals 59.8 inches a year, most in January (6.1") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 35 | 6.1 | 100% | 14 | 86 |
| Feb | 65 | 38 | 5.1 | 95% | 8 | 129 |
| Mar | 72 | 45 | 5.5 | 76% | 3 | 289 |
| Apr | 79 | 52 | 5.1 | 10% | 0 | 457 |
| May | 85 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 710 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 984 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 89 | 64 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Oct | 80 | 53 | 3.5 | 13% | <1 | 507 |
| Nov | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 87% | 5 | 213 |
| Dec | 62 | 37 | 5.8 | 99% | 12 | 120 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Laurel, MS (225 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, Hattiesburg Chain Municipal Airport, MS, 18 miles southwest of Ovett, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 8), a first frost 3 days later (November 15), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Ovett, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Laurel, MS, 13.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39464
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 39464 is 14 miles from Laurel, MS, which stands at 225 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39443 (Laurel). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39464 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.