USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39819 — Bainbridge, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bainbridge International Paper, GA (190 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Bainbridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 14 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Bainbridge International Paper, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 14
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 250 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 Bainbridge
Half of springs at Bainbridge International Paper, GA see their last 32°F night by March 14; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 127 Georgia stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 17 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 280 days one year in ten and falls short of 221 one year in ten. On average 39 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 16 days longer, to about March 30, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 31%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bainbridge International Paper, GA, 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 39819 →Compare Bainbridge with another place →
Weather by month in Bainbridge
July is the warmest month at Bainbridge International Paper, GA, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 76% of years and April still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,608 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,768) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 986.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 38 | 99% | 13 | 133 |
| Feb | 67 | 41 | 95% | 8 | 165 |
| Mar | 74 | 47 | 76% | 3 | 336 |
| Apr | 80 | 52 | 15% | <1 | 485 |
| May | 88 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Jun | 92 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 90 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Oct | 82 | 56 | 6% | <1 | 588 |
| Nov | 73 | 46 | 79% | 5 | 300 |
| Dec | 66 | 40 | 91% | 10 | 164 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bainbridge International Paper, GA (190 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, Cairo 1SW, GA, 17 miles east of Bainbridge, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 11), a first frost 4 days later (November 21), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Bainbridge, Georgia
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bainbridge International Paper, GA, 7.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39819
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 3 – January 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 39819 is 7 miles from Bainbridge International Paper, GA, which stands at 190 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39819 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.
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.