Meridian, MS 39342 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Meridian, MS?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/16, roughly 200 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/12, about 239 frost-free days later.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 Meridian, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in Meridian before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/16 isn't a guarantee
03/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Meridian compares
Meridian's growing season runs about 239 days, ranking 8,784 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MS, it ranks 260 of 523.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Meridian can differ from the 39342 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Meridian's frost date answer different questions.