Florence, MS 39073 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Florence, MS?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/14, roughly 198 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/14, about 245 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Florence 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 Florence before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Florence compares
At roughly 245 frost-free days, Florence places 8,019 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within MS, it ranks 185 of 523.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Florence can differ from the 39073 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Florence's frost date answer different questions.