Frost dates for Atlanta, Georgia
In Atlanta, half of springs have had their last frost by March 24 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 10), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 8, leaving about 231 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Atlanta, Georgia
Last spring frost
March 24
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 10: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 8
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 27.
Growing season
231 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 207.
Hardiness zone
8a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 10°F to 15°F. It was 8a on the 2012 map too. All 17 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8a.
Print a year planner for Atlanta
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 2 | March 24 | April 10 |
| First frost in fall | October 27 | November 8 | November 26 |
The frost-free season between them runs 231 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 258 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 207 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 9 and first on November 20. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 7 and first on October 29. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Atlanta comes between March 2 and April 10, a window of 39 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Georgia's 122 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 43 percent have their typical last frost later than Atlanta does.
Planting calendar for Atlanta
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 6 to February 3 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 20 to February 17 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 3 to 24 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 10 to 24 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 17 to March 3 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 24 to March 10 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 24 to March 10 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 10 to 24 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 10 to 24 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 24 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 7 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 7 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 13 to 27 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 1 |
| July | ||
| July 3 to 17 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 21 |
| August | ||
| August 12 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 16 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 17 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 21 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 22 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 26 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 5 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 15 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 25 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 27 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 27 to December 4 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 17 days later. That plans around April 10, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Atlanta Fulton Co Airport (station USW00003888), 6 miles from the center of Atlanta. It sits 120 feet lower, at 840 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Mableton, Smyrna, Douglasville and Powder Springs.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 8 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 30309, 30311, 30314, 30318, 30331, 30332, 30336, 30363. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- South Fulton, Georgia: last frost around March 15, first frost around November 20 (15 miles away)
- Athens, Georgia: last frost around March 23, first frost around November 10 (60 miles away)
- Macon, Georgia: last frost around March 21, first frost around November 10 (80 miles away)
See frost dates across Georgia, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.