USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39562 — Moss Point, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS (18 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Moss Point, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 269 days (NOAA, Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 269 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Moss Point
Half of springs at Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 6, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 24 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 November 24 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 269 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 302 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 27 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 18, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 77% of winters and 16°F in 7%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 22 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 16 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pascagoula Lott International Airport, 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 39562 →Compare Moss Point with another place →
Weather by month in Moss Point
July is the warmest month at Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 41°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 86% of years and March still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,758 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 42% of them (2,840) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 997. Precipitation totals 61.8 inches a year, most in August (7.9") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 5.0 | 94% | 9 | 149 |
| Feb | 66 | 45 | 4.0 | 86% | 5 | 193 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 4.7 | 51% | 2 | 354 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 4.4 | 2% | 0 | 500 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 997 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 7.9 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 855 |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 4% | <1 | 596 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 3.8 | 63% | 3 | 291 |
| Dec | 65 | 43 | 4.9 | 85% | 8 | 189 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS (18 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, Pascagoula 3 NE, MS, 9 miles south of Moss Point, has a last frost 7 days later (March 8), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 19), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Moss Point, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pascagoula 3 NE, MS, 8.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39562
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 39562 is 4 miles from Pascagoula Lott International Airport, MS, which stands at 18 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39565 (Vancleave). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39562 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.