U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00094941 · Georgia

Frost Dates for Chickamauga, GA

NOAA weather station Chickamauga 2 SW (USC00094941), Georgia · elevation 799 ft (244 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 11only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season232 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Chickamauga, GASpring: a frost after March 4 in 9 years out of 10, after March 25 in half of the years, after April 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 232 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 25First frost ~Nov 9Frost season at Chickamauga, GASpring: a frost after March 4 in 9 years out of 10, after March 25 in half of the years, after April 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 28 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 232 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 25First frost ~Nov 9
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.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 11October 28
50% (typical)March 25November 9
90% (likely)March 4December 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
232 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 25

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 19 (6 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10 (1 day later). Frost-free season 237 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 at Chickamauga: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 11, 20% April 5, 30% April 1, 40% March 29, 50% March 25, 60% March 21, 70% March 17, 80% March 13, 90% March 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 April 20, 2023 March 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 11Mar 25Mar 42021: April 32022: April 202023: March 21Fall at Chickamauga: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 28, 20% November 1, 30% November 3, 40% November 6, 50% November 9, 60% November 13, 70% November 17, 80% November 22, 90% December 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 21, 2023 November 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 28Nov 9Dec 12021: November 72022: October 212023: November 2
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 7
2022April 20October 21
2023March 21November 2
2024incomplete recordincomplete record
2025incomplete recordno data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 232 days between the 50% dates in Chickamauga define the interval during which light frost is a fifty-fifty proposition for gardeners.

The 50% date is March 25 in spring and the 50% date is November 9 in fall; on those days a gardener faces an even chance of frost having occurred or still to come. The median hard-frost date is March 11 and the median hard-frost date is November 25, marking the points where a 28 °F frost is equally likely. These dates provide a statistical reference point, not a guarantee.

For a cautious spring schedule, the April 11 date carries only a 10 % chance of a later frost, while the October 28 date in fall carries a 10 % chance of an earlier frost, making each a low-risk choice for tender crops. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, so it is considered more consequential.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 11" 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 Chickamauga, GANumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Chattanooga, TN — 14 mi; 2 — Valley Head, AL — 26 mi; 3 — Cleveland, TN — 39 mi; 4 — Monteagle, TN — 39 mi; 5 — Scottsboro, AL — 44 mi.TNGA25 mi · 40 km1. near Chattanooga, TN — 14 mi12. Valley Head, AL — 26 mi23. Cleveland, TN — 39 mi34. Monteagle, TN — 39 mi45. Scottsboro, AL — 44 mi5
  1. near Chattanooga, TN 14 mi (22 km)
  2. Valley Head, AL 26 mi (41 km)
  3. Cleveland, TN 39 mi (63 km)
  4. Monteagle, TN 39 mi (63 km)
  5. Scottsboro, AL 44 mi (70 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 34.8531, -85.3142.