Atlanta, Georgia: freeze dates & growing season

Three different things get called “Atlanta” here, so this page is explicit about all three: the metro label (Atlanta), the anchor geography (Census ZCTA 30303, a downtown ZIP-code area), and the climate record (the NOAA station below). Windows are calculated from the station — not from your street address.

Climate basis: NOAA station Atlanta Fulton Co AP, GA (USW00003888), 8 mi (13 km) from the ZCTA 30303 centroid, elevation 840 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals.

Last spring freezeMarch 241-in-10 after Apr 10

First fall freezeNovember 81-in-10 before Oct 27

Frost-free season≈ 231 daysmedian at 32°F

Hard freeze, 28°Mar 9 – Nov 20kills even hardy greens

USDA zone8a10 to 15°F winter low — not frost timing

The year

indoors under lights
in the garden
frost-free season
1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 10

The Atlanta year: hatched areas are the freeze-likely seasons in 1991–2020 normals.

What that means in practice

Tomatoes: plant March 31 – April 14
Peas: plant February 10 – February 24
Garlic: plant cloves November 15 – November 22

All 79 crops in Atlanta

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

Check a specific ZIP instead

Metro climates vary — elevation, water, and urban heat shift freeze dates by days to weeks. Look up your exact ZIP:

Nearby reviewed metros

Birmingham, AL · Knoxville, TN · Nashville, TN · Charlotte, NC · Lexington, KY