Gautier, MS 39568 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Gautier, MS?
Around 03/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 185 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/24, about 269 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Gautier in Zone 9a (20 to 25°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 13 weeks of growing season left in Gautier before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/01 isn't a guarantee
03/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Gautier compares
Gautier's growing season runs about 269 days, ranking 5,662 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MS, it ranks 29 of 523.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Gautier can differ from the 39568 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Gautier's frost date answer different questions.