Athens-Clarke County, GA 30602 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
Around 03/23 is the usual last spring frost, about 207 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/10, about 232 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Athens-Clarke County in Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in Athens-Clarke County before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Athens-Clarke County's last frost
03/23 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 Athens-Clarke County compares
Athens-Clarke County's growing season runs about 232 days, ranking 10,016 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within GA, it ranks 469 of 921.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Athens-Clarke County's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Athens-Clarke County's dates instead of trusting one.