USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39501 — Gulfport, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS (35 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Gulfport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 18 in half of years and has passed by March 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 14, as early as November 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 300 days (NOAA, Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS).
- Last spring frost
- February 18
- First fall frost
- December 14
- Growing season
- 300 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 12%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gulfport
Half of springs at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS see their last 32°F night by February 18; only one in ten is past it by January 17, and one in ten still has one after March 14. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 14 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% 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 December 14 in half of years, as early as November 18 one year in ten, and holds off past January 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around January 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 300 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 338 days one year in ten and falls short of 263 one year in ten. On average 13 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 5, and return around November 26. A 24°F night is unusual: 46% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Feb 4 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gulfport Naval Ctr, 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 39501 →Compare Gulfport with another place →
Weather by month in Gulfport
July is the warmest month at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 66% of years and March still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,918 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,906) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,012. Precipitation totals 68.3 inches a year, most in July (8.0") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 44 | 5.8 | 85% | 5 | 147 |
| Feb | 64 | 47 | 4.9 | 66% | 2 | 185 |
| Mar | 70 | 53 | 5.5 | 29% | 1 | 358 |
| Apr | 76 | 60 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| May | 83 | 67 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jun | 87 | 73 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 903 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 8.0 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Sep | 87 | 71 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Oct | 79 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Nov | 70 | 51 | 4.4 | 25% | 1 | 320 |
| Dec | 63 | 46 | 5.0 | 63% | 4 | 188 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS (35 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, Gulfport - Biloxi Airport, MS, 2 miles northeast of Gulfport, has a last frost 5 days later (February 23), a first frost 11 days earlier (December 3), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Gulfport, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, 1.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39501
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 10 – December 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 24 – January 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 14 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 39501 is 2 miles from Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, which stands at 35 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39501 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.