Atlanta, GA 30318 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Atlanta, GA?
Around 03/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 208 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/08, about 231 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Atlanta, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Atlanta before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/24 isn't a guarantee
03/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/10 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Atlanta compares
Atlanta's growing season runs about 231 days, ranking 10,086 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within GA, it ranks 493 of 921.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Atlanta's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Atlanta can differ from the 30318 normal.