USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 39837 — Colquitt, Georgia
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newton 11 SW, GA (156 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Colquitt, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 7 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 259 days (NOAA, Newton 11 SW, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 7
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 259 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 Colquitt
Half of springs at Newton 11 SW, GA see their last 32°F night by March 7; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 20 20%, and after March 28 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 83% of the 127 Georgia 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 19 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 259 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 127 Georgia stations; it reaches 291 days one year in ten and falls short of 234 one year in ten. On average 28 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 14 days longer, to about March 21, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 87% of winters and 16°F in 16%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F87% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F51% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 |
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newton 11 SW, 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 39837 →Compare Colquitt with another place →
Weather by month in Colquitt
July is the warmest month at Newton 11 SW, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from January to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,394 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 127 Georgia stations. 42% of them (2,695) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 964. Precipitation totals 49.7 inches a year, most in August (5.4") and least in May (2.4"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 3.8 | 97% | 11 | 125 |
| Feb | 65 | 42 | 4.7 | 91% | 6 | 158 |
| Mar | 72 | 48 | 5.1 | 62% | 2 | 325 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 4.3 | 6% | <1 | 482 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 802 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 2.4 | 5% | <1 | 557 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 3.4 | 71% | 3 | 263 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 4.4 | 90% | 8 | 162 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newton 11 SW, GA (156 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, Donalsonville, GA, 16 miles southwest of Colquitt, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 6), a first frost 4 days later (November 23), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Colquitt, 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, 22.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 39837
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 27 – January 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 39837 is 14 miles from Newton 11 SW, GA, which stands at 156 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 39837 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.