Augusta, Georgia: planting zone & frost dates
Augusta is in USDA plant hardiness zone 8b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 6 and the first fall frost around Nov 26.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 19 | Nov 15 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 6 | Nov 26 |
| Median (50%) | Feb 27 | Dec 4 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station AUGUSTA DANIEL FLD AP, GA (USW00013837), 7.3 mi (11.7 km) from the city center and 75 ft higher than the city center (+23 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 21 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Augusta
All 9 ZIP codes covering Augusta are in zone 8b.
Vegetable planting calendar for Augusta
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 6, first frost Nov 26). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Feb 20 – Mar 13 | Feb 6 – Mar 20 | Sep 17 – Oct 15 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Mar 13 – Apr 17 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 6 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Cucumber | Feb 6 – Feb 13 | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Carrot | — | — | Feb 13 – Mar 20 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Onion | Dec 12 – Dec 26 | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 6 – Feb 27 | — | — |
| Basil | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Jan 23 – Feb 20 | Oct 1 – Oct 29 |
| Kale | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 6 – Feb 27 | Feb 6 – Feb 27 | Sep 17 – Oct 15 |
| Broccoli | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 20 – Mar 13 | — | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Peas | — | — | Jan 23 – Feb 13 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Eggplant | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 9 – Jan 23 | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | — | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Radish | — | — | Jan 30 – Mar 20 | Oct 15 – Nov 12 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 6 – Feb 27 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Feb 13 – Mar 27 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
Nearby cities in Georgia
- Athens — zone 8a, last frost Mar 31, first frost Nov 4
- Savannah — zone 9a, last frost Mar 12, first frost Nov 21
- Macon — zone 8b, last frost Mar 29, first frost Nov 4
- Warner Robins — zone 8b, last frost Mar 20, first frost Nov 12
- Johns Creek — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 2
- Sandy Springs — zone 8a, last frost Apr 1, first frost Nov 2
More: all Georgia cities · other zone 8b cities: Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, El Paso, TX, Virginia Beach, VA, Arlington, TX, Plano, TX, Irving, TX, Garland, TX
Augusta gardening questions
When is the last frost in Augusta, GA?
Plan around Mar 6. At NOAA's Augusta Daniel Field Airport, GA station, 7.3 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Feb 27, and after Mar 19 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 8. The 90% and 10% dates are 43 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Augusta, GA?
Start seeds indoors Jan 9 – Jan 23 and set transplants outside Mar 13 – Mar 27, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 265 frost-free days, frost is not the main limit — fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so early plantings tend to do best. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Augusta?
About 283 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 255 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 314 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 15 and a 30% chance by Nov 26. That is the longest of the 12 Georgia cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Augusta?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 26): transplant broccoli Sep 3 – Sep 17; sow kale Sep 17 – Oct 15; sow lettuce Sep 17 – Oct 15; sow radishes Oct 15 – Nov 12. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 26. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Augusta's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Augusta was zone 8a on the 2012 map and is zone 8b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Augusta compare with Columbia, SC?
Both are in zone 8b. The typical last spring frost in Augusta (Mar 6) comes about 25 days earlier than in Columbia, SC (Mar 31), 82 miles away, and the first fall frost is Nov 26 versus Nov 9. The two cities use different NOAA stations.