U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013873 · Georgia

Frost Dates near Athens, GA

NOAA weather station Athens Ben Epps Airport (USW00013873), Georgia · elevation 785 ft (239 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

Athens is the nearest town to the station (3.0 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season232 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Athens, GASpring: a frost after March 2 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 232 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 10Frost season near Athens, GASpring: a frost after March 2 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 10 in half of the years, before November 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 232 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 10
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 10October 28
50% (typical)March 23November 10
90% (likely)March 2November 27
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
232 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 25

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 22 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 233 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Athens: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 10, 20% April 4, 30% March 31, 40% March 27, 50% March 23, 60% March 19, 70% March 15, 80% March 10, 90% March 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 19, 2025 March 3, 2026 March 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 10Mar 23Mar 22021: April 32022: April 102023: March 212024: March 192025: March 32026: March 19Fall near Athens: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 28, 20% November 1, 30% November 4, 40% November 7, 50% November 10, 60% November 13, 70% November 17, 80% November 21, 90% November 27. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 23, 2022 October 20, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 28Nov 10Nov 272021: November 232022: October 202023: November 22024: November 302025: November 10
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 3November 23
2022April 10October 20
2023March 21November 2
2024March 19November 30
2025March 3November 10
2026March 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 28 marks the cautious fall date for the Athens area, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived, making it the recommended day to finish harvesting tender crops. The 50 % light-frost dates are March 23 in spring and November 10 in fall; on those days there is an even chance of a 32 °F frost occurring. The 50 % hard-frost dates are March 9 and November 25, indicating the median day a 28 °F hard frost is expected.

For a cautious spring plan, April 10 is the date with a 10 % chance of a later light frost, so tender seedlings are usually set out after that. In fall, the same 10 % threshold is reached on October 28, guiding the final harvest. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue that survives a 32 °F light frost, so it is a greater threat to tender crops.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 10" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 28" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Athens, GANumbered nearest stations: 1 — Elberton, GA — 30 mi; 2 — Gainesville, GA — 39 mi; 3 — Cornelia, GA — 41 mi; 4 — Calhoun Falls, SC — 43 mi; 5 — Anderson County Airport, SC — 52 mi.GA25 mi · 40 km1. Elberton, GA — 30 mi12. Gainesville, GA — 39 mi23. Cornelia, GA — 41 mi34. Calhoun Falls, SC — 43 mi45. Anderson County Airport, SC — 52 mi5
  1. Elberton, GA 30 mi (49 km)
  2. Gainesville, GA 39 mi (63 km)
  3. Cornelia, GA 41 mi (66 km)
  4. Calhoun Falls, SC 43 mi (70 km)
  5. Anderson County Airport, SC 52 mi (83 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 33.9481, -83.3275.