USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39556 — Kiln, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waveland, MS (8 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Kiln, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 21 in half of years and has passed by March 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 287 days (NOAA, Waveland, MS).
- Last spring frost
- February 21
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 287 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kiln
Half of springs at Waveland, MS see their last 32°F night by February 21; only one in ten is past it by January 25, and one in ten still has one after March 18. Planting tender crops after March 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 11 20%, and after March 18 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 99% 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 3 in half of years, as early as November 13 one year in ten, and holds off past January 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 287 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 323 days one year in ten and falls short of 253 one year in ten. On average 18 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 10, and return around November 19. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 63% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Apr 3 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F63% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 |
| 20°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 25 |
| 24°F63% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
| 20°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waveland, 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 39556 →Compare Kiln with another place →
Weather by month in Kiln
August is the warmest month at Waveland, MS, averaging 89°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 74% of years and March still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,497 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,708) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 976. Precipitation totals 65.0 inches a year, most in July (7.7") 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 | 59 | 42 | 5.8 | 90% | 6 | 121 |
| Feb | 63 | 44 | 4.7 | 74% | 3 | 152 |
| Mar | 69 | 51 | 5.3 | 34% | 1 | 321 |
| Apr | 75 | 58 | 5.6 | 1% | 0 | 487 |
| May | 82 | 66 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Jun | 87 | 72 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 886 |
| Jul | 89 | 74 | 7.7 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 89 | 74 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 976 |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Oct | 78 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 581 |
| Nov | 68 | 49 | 4.1 | 39% | 1 | 277 |
| Dec | 61 | 43 | 4.4 | 76% | 5 | 146 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waveland, MS (8 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, Picayune, MS, 18 miles northwest of Kiln, has a last frost 16 days later (March 9), a first frost 15 days earlier (November 18), a season 32 days shorter.
When it snows in Kiln, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Waveland, MS, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39556
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 13 – December 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 39556 is 10 miles from Waveland, MS, which stands at 8 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 39520 (Bay St Louis). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39556 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.