USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39532 — Biloxi, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Biloxi, MS (10 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Biloxi, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 12 in half of years and has passed by March 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 14, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 301 days (NOAA, Biloxi, MS).
- Last spring frost
- February 12
- First fall frost
- December 14
- Growing season
- 301 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Biloxi
Half of springs at Biloxi, MS see their last 32°F night by February 12; only one in ten is past it by January 18, and one in ten still has one after March 11. Planting tender crops after February 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 3 20%, and after March 11 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest 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 16 one year in ten, and holds off past January 11 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 February 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 301 days in a typical year, the longest of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 336 days one year in ten and falls short of 265 one year in ten. On average 11 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 17 days longer, to about March 1, and return around November 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 50% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 23 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 14 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% 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 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Biloxi, 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 39532 →Compare Biloxi with another place →
Weather by month in Biloxi
July is the warmest month at Biloxi, MS, averaging 90°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°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 61% of years and March still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,974 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,947) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,008. Precipitation totals 66.8 inches a year, most in July (8.1") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 44 | 5.4 | 85% | 5 | 139 |
| Feb | 63 | 47 | 4.4 | 61% | 2 | 184 |
| Mar | 69 | 53 | 5.7 | 24% | 1 | 362 |
| Apr | 76 | 60 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| May | 83 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Jun | 88 | 74 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 8.1 | 0% | 0 | 1008 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 1008 |
| Sep | 87 | 72 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Oct | 79 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 636 |
| Nov | 69 | 51 | 4.4 | 25% | 1 | 320 |
| Dec | 62 | 46 | 5.0 | 64% | 3 | 179 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Biloxi, MS (10 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, 9 miles west of Biloxi, has a last frost 11 days later (February 23), a first frost 11 days earlier (December 3), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Biloxi, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Biloxi, MS, 6.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39532
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 4 – December 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 18 – January 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 12 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 39532 is 6 miles from Biloxi, MS, which stands at 10 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39564 (Ocean Springs). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39532 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.