U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00224939 · Mississippi

Frost Dates for Laurel, MS

NOAA weather station Laurel (USC00224939), Mississippi · elevation 225 ft (69 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season244 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Laurel, MSSpring: a frost after February 22 in 9 years out of 10, after March 12 in half of the years, after April 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 30 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 244 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 12First frost ~Nov 12Frost season at Laurel, MSSpring: a frost after February 22 in 9 years out of 10, after March 12 in half of the years, after April 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 30 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 244 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 12First frost ~Nov 12
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 1October 30
50% (typical)March 12November 12
90% (likely)February 22December 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
244 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
February 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 23

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 13 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 11 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 245 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 Laurel: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 1, 20% March 26, 30% March 20, 40% March 16, 50% March 12, 60% March 8, 70% March 4, 80% February 28, 90% February 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 1Mar 12Feb 222026: March 18Fall at Laurel: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 30, 20% November 2, 30% November 5, 40% November 9, 50% November 12, 60% November 16, 70% November 20, 80% November 24, 90% December 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 30Nov 12Dec 1
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
2021incomplete recordincomplete record
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024incomplete recordincomplete record
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Laurel for finishing the harvest is October 30, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived.

The 50% dates are March 12 for spring light frost and November 12 for fall light frost; on those days the probability of a frost is exactly even. The 50% hard-frost dates are February 28 in spring and November 23 in fall, indicating the median moment a 28 °F frost becomes as likely as not. The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is April 1, which carries only a 10 % chance of a later frost, and the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest is October 30, which carries only a 10 % chance of an earlier frost. A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost at 32 °F because it can damage plant tissue that would survive the milder temperature.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 1" 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 30" 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 Laurel, MSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hattiesburg, MS — 32 mi; 2 — Beaumont Expstation, MS — 33 mi; 3 — near Meridian, MS — 51 mi; 4 — Columbia, MS — 51 mi; 5 — D'Lo, MS — 51 mi.MSAL25 mi · 40 km1. Hattiesburg, MS — 32 mi12. Beaumont Expstation, MS — 33 mi23. near Meridian, MS — 51 mi34. Columbia, MS — 51 mi45. D'Lo, MS — 51 mi5
  1. Hattiesburg, MS 32 mi (51 km)
  2. Beaumont Expstation, MS 33 mi (53 km)
  3. near Meridian, MS 51 mi (82 km)
  4. Columbia, MS 51 mi (82 km)
  5. D'Lo, MS 51 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: 31.6756, -89.1236.