Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Gainesville, GA
Gainesville, GA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 27 and its first of fall around November 12 — a 231-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Mar 6 | Dec 1 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 27 | Nov 12 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 11 | Oct 31 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 231 days median, at least 209 in 9 years of 10, at least 257 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 12 and first of Nov 26.
Gainesville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 27) and median first frost (Nov 12) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 2 | Feb 27 | Jun 17 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 27 | Apr 26 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 13 | Mar 13 | Apr 27 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 27 | Apr 10 | Jun 9 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 30 | Apr 3 | Jun 17 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 16 | Apr 10 | Jul 14 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 30 | Apr 3 | Jun 17 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 30 | Apr 3 | Jun 22 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 30 | Apr 3 | Jun 22 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 13 | Mar 13 | May 22 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 13 | Apr 3 | Jun 12 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 13 | Apr 3 | Jun 17 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 13 | Apr 3 | Jun 22 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Gainesville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Gainesville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Gainesville frost questions
When is the last frost in Gainesville, GA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at GAINESVILLE, GA is March 27: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 11; nine years in ten, it comes after March 6. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Gainesville, GA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 12. One year in ten it arrives before October 31; nine years in ten, before December 1.
How long is the growing season in Gainesville, GA?
231 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 209 days; one year in ten, at least 257 days.
What growing zone is Gainesville, GA?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 30501. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Gainesville, GA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 13 and transplant around Apr 3, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 11. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 17.
When should I plant peppers in Gainesville, GA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 30; transplant no earlier than Apr 3, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 17.
Nearby in Georgia
- Johns Creeklast frost Mar 25
- Miltonlast frost Apr 4
- Alpharettalast frost Mar 25
- Peachtree Cornerslast frost Mar 25
- Roswelllast frost Mar 25
- Athenslast frost Mar 23
All Georgia frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →