U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013865 · Mississippi

Frost Dates near Meridian, MS

NOAA weather station Meridian Key Field (USW00013865), Mississippi · elevation 294 ft (90 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

Meridian is the nearest town to the station (3.1 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 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season239 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Meridian, MSSpring: a frost after February 24 in 9 years out of 10, after March 16 in half of the years, after April 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 239 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 16First frost ~Nov 12Frost season near Meridian, MSSpring: a frost after February 24 in 9 years out of 10, after March 16 in half of the years, after April 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 239 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 16First 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.

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 3October 29
50% (typical)March 16November 12
90% (likely)February 24December 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
239 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
February 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 27

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 11 (5 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 243 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 Meridian: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 3, 20% March 29, 30% March 23, 40% March 20, 50% March 16, 60% March 12, 70% March 6, 80% February 28, 90% February 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 March 8, 2022 March 14, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 19, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 3Mar 16Feb 242021: March 82022: March 142023: March 212024: March 192026: March 17Fall near Meridian: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 29, 20% November 1, 30% November 5, 40% November 8, 50% November 12, 60% November 16, 70% November 20, 80% November 25, 90% December 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2024 November 29, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 29Nov 12Dec 22021: November 142022: October 192023: November 12024: November 292025: 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
2021March 8November 14
2022March 14October 19
2023March 21November 1
2024March 19November 29
2025incomplete recordNovember 10
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of February 24 carries a 90 % chance of a frost later that season, so it is a gamble for growers in the Meridian area.

The 50 % date of March 16 marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after, giving gardeners a median reference for the 32 °F threshold. For hard frost, the 50 % dates are February 28 in spring and November 27 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that would survive a light 32 °F frost, making it a more serious threat.

A cautious plan uses April 3 as the spring date with only a 10 % chance of a later frost, and October 29 as the fall date with a 10 % chance of an earlier frost, providing the lowest-risk windows for 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 3" 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 29" 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 Meridian, MSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Philadelphia, MS — 38 mi; 2 — Gainesville Lock, AL — 50 mi; 3 — Laurel, MS — 51 mi; 4 — Jackson, AL — 74 mi; 5 — D'Lo, MS — 74 mi.MSAL25 mi · 40 km1. Philadelphia, MS — 38 mi12. Gainesville Lock, AL — 50 mi23. Laurel, MS — 51 mi34. Jackson, AL — 74 mi45. D'Lo, MS — 74 mi5
  1. Philadelphia, MS 38 mi (60 km)
  2. Gainesville Lock, AL 50 mi (80 km)
  3. Laurel, MS 51 mi (82 km)
  4. Jackson, AL 74 mi (118 km)
  5. D'Lo, MS 74 mi (120 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: 32.3347, -88.7442.