USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 39762 — Mississippi State, Mississippi
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from State Univ, MS (185 ft), 1 miles northeast.
Updated
In Mississippi State, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, State Univ, MS).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 233 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 19%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mississippi State
Half of springs at State Univ, MS see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 73% 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 96 Mississippi stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 58 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 13 days longer, to about April 5, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 67%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at State Univ, 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 39762 →Compare Mississippi State with another place →
Weather by month in Mississippi State
July is the warmest month at State Univ, MS, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,710 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 96 Mississippi stations. 40% of them (2,287) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 990. Precipitation totals 58.0 inches a year, most in February (6.2") and least in September (3.7"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 17 | 53 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 6.2 | 100% | 13 | 76 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 5.4 | 85% | 5 | 215 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 6.1 | 30% | 1 | 402 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.2 | 1% | 0 | 674 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Oct | 77 | 52 | 3.9 | 21% | 1 | 453 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 4.4 | 86% | 7 | 171 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 5.3 | 99% | 15 | 75 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at State Univ, MS (185 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, Columbus, MS, 23 miles east of Mississippi State, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 4 days later (November 12), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Mississippi State, Mississippi
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at State Univ, MS, 1.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39762
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 39762 is 1 mile from State Univ, MS, which stands at 185 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 39759 (Starkville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39762 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.