Frost dates for Augusta, Georgia
In Augusta, half of springs have had their last frost by February 27 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 19), and half of falls have had their first frost by December 4, leaving about 283 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
Augusta, Georgia
Last spring frost
February 27
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 19: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
December 4
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 15.
Growing season
283 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 255.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. On the 2012 map it was 8a, half a zone colder. All 3 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Augusta Daniel Field Airport (7 miles away, at 420 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of February 27 and a typical first frost of December 4. NOAA's Augusta Bush Field Airport (6 miles away, at 130 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of March 23 and a typical first frost of November 9. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from February 27 to March 23 and the typical first frost from November 9 to December 4, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Augusta
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 | February 4 | February 27 | March 19 |
| First frost in fall | November 15 | December 4 | January 1 |
The frost-free season between them runs 283 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 314 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 255 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 97 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 8 and the first on December 26. 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 March 13 and first on November 19. 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 Augusta comes between February 4 and March 19, a window of 43 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, 98 percent have their typical last frost later than Augusta does.
Planting calendar for Augusta
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.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 9 to 30 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 16 to 30 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 23 to February 6 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 30 to February 13 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 30 to February 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 13 to 27 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 13 to 27 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 27 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March | ||
| March 13 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 13 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 9 to 23 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 27 |
| July 29 to August 12 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 16 |
| September | ||
| September 7 | 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 |
| September 11 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 12 | 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 |
| September 16 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | 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 |
| September 21 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 1 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 11 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 21 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 15 | 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 |
| December | ||
| December 12 to January 9 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 26 to January 23 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 20 days later. That plans around March 19, 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 Augusta Daniel Field Airport (station USW00013837), 7 miles from the center of Augusta. It sits at about the same elevation, 420 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 Grovetown.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 8 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 29841, 29842, 29860, 30805, 30904, 30905, 30907, 30909. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Columbia, South Carolina: last frost around March 13, first frost around November 19 (80 miles away)
- Athens, Georgia: last frost around March 23, first frost around November 10 (85 miles away)
- Macon, Georgia: last frost around March 21, first frost around November 10 (100 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.