Fall in zone 9aPhoto: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 31561 (Glynn County, GA)
Average last spring and first fall frost dates with 10%, 50% and 90% odds, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the nearest weather station, Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon AP, GA (6 miles away).
- Average last spring frostFeb 950% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostDec 2650% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)312 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone9a20 to 25°F avg. coldest night
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This week in your yard
As of Oct 18, 2026, from your frost dates, zone and soil temperature. Lawn timing · Vegetables · Pruning · Plants
Soil temperature now
2-inch depth
77°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 74°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Brunswick 23 S (29 mi).
4-inch depth
78°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 77°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Brunswick 23 S (29 mi).
Fall: Texas A&M AgriLife times fall pre-emergent (for winter weeds such as annual bluegrass) to soil cooling to about 70°F for several days. The 50–55°F band is the spring trigger. Always read and follow the product label.
7-day forecast and frost risk
The latest National Weather Service 7-day forecast and any Frost Advisory or Freeze Warning for 31561 load here. You can also open the NWS forecast for this ZIP.
Pre-emergent
Soil is 78°F at 4 inches (estimated soil temperature, not a station reading). Fall pre-emergent (annual bluegrass, winter weeds): not yet. Apply as soil cools toward 70°F (typically September to early October).
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: Southeast (warm, humid). Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Centipedegrass (warm-season): Spring: Not before mid-May (NC State); after full green-up (about Mar 27 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Optional mid-summer feeding, especially on sandy coastal soils. Avoid: Early-spring feeding, frequent feeding and liming unless a soil test calls for it (centipede decline).
Plant now
- Lettuce: fall sowing Oct 17–Nov 14
- Kale: fall transplant Oct 3–31
- Collards: fall transplant Oct 3–31
- Kohlrabi: fall sowing Oct 17–31
- Swiss chard: fall sowing Oct 17–31
- Beet: fall sowing Oct 17–31
- Turnip: fall sowing Oct 17–31
- Green onion / scallion: fall sowing Oct 17–31
- Strawberry (plants): fall transplant Oct 17–Nov 14
Coming up in the next 3 weeks
- Lettuce: fall transplant Oct 31–Nov 21
- Spinach: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 21
- Bok choy / Asian greens: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 14
- Arugula: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 28
- Mustard greens: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 14
- Cilantro: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 14
- Dill: fall sowing Oct 31–Nov 14
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after their flowers fade, not by date. See the pruning guide.
Last spring frost odds
| Chance of a 32°F freeze after this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 90% (early: most years still freeze after this) | Jan 11 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Feb 9 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | Mar 6 |
Most gardeners plant frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the 50% date, and closer to the 10% date for less risk.
First fall frost odds
| Chance the first 32°F freeze has happened by this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 10% (early: 1 year in 10 freezes this soon) | Nov 30 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Dec 26 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Jan 19 (next year) |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | Feb 27 | Dec 4 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Feb 9 | Dec 26 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Jan 27 | Jan 8 (next year) |
n/a means NOAA did not publish a date at that threshold for this station (usually because it rarely gets that cold).
Vegetable planting calendar for 31561
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Feb 9) and first fall frost (Dec 26). Half of years have a frost after the spring date, so give tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) some slack.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Dec 15–29 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) | Aug 29–Sep 26 (transplant) |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Dec 1–15 | Feb 23–Mar 9 (transplant) | Sep 5–26 (transplant) |
| Eggplant | Dec 1–15 | Feb 23–Mar 9 (transplant) | Sep 5–26 (transplant) |
| Tomatillo | Dec 15–29 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Dec 15–29 | Jan 19–Feb 9 (transplant) Jan 12–Feb 23 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 21 (transplant) Oct 17–Nov 14 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Dec 29–Jan 19 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 21 (sowing) |
| Kale | Dec 15–29 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) Jan 12–26 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–31 (transplant) Sep 19–Oct 17 (sowing) |
| Collards | Dec 15–29 | Jan 12–Feb 9 (transplant) Jan 12–Feb 9 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–31 (transplant) Sep 19–Oct 17 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Dec 1–15 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | Sep 19–Oct 17 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Dec 1–15 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | Sep 19–Oct 17 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Dec 1–15 | Jan 26–Feb 9 (transplant) | Sep 19–Oct 17 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Nov 17–Dec 1 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | Sep 5–26 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Dec 15–29 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) Jan 12–26 (sow outdoors) | Oct 17–31 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Jan 12–26 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 14 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Jan 12–Feb 9 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 28 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Jan 12–Feb 2 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 14 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Dec 29–Jan 12 | Jan 26–Feb 16 (transplant) Jan 26–Feb 23 (sow outdoors) | Oct 17–31 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Jan 12–Feb 9 (sow outdoors) | Oct 17–31 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Jan 19–Feb 16 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–17 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Jan 5–Feb 16 (sow outdoors) | Nov 14–28 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Jan 12–Feb 2 (sow outdoors) | Oct 17–31 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Jan 19–Feb 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Dec 15–Jan 12 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–17 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Nov 17–Dec 1 | Dec 29–Jan 12 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Dec 29–Jan 26 (sow outdoors) | Oct 17–31 (sowing) |
| Leek | Nov 17–Dec 1 | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 14–Dec 12 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Dec 29–Jan 12 (transplant) | Nov 14–Dec 12 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | Sep 5–19 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | Mar 2–16 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–17 (sowing) |
| Bean, pole | – | Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Feb 23–Mar 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | Mar 2–23 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Jan 12–19 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–17 (sowing) |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Jan 12–19 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | Oct 3–17 (sowing) |
| Winter squash | Jan 12–19 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Jan 12–19 | Feb 23–Mar 9 (transplant) Feb 23–Mar 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Jan 12–19 | Feb 23–Mar 9 (transplant) Feb 23–Mar 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Dec 29–Jan 12 | Feb 23–Mar 9 (transplant) Feb 23–Mar 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Nov 17–Dec 1 | Feb 16–23 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Dec 29–Jan 12 | Feb 16–Mar 2 (transplant) Feb 16–Mar 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Jan 26–Feb 23 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 14 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Dec 1–15 | Jan 26–Feb 9 (transplant) Jan 19–Feb 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Feb 9–23 (sow outdoors) | Oct 31–Nov 14 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Feb 9–23 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Jan 12–26 (transplant) | Oct 17–Nov 14 (transplant) |
Typical ranges from university extension planting calendars, adjusted to your frost dates. Probabilities, not guarantees. Fall windows that would overlap spring planting are left out, as are fall crops of frost-tender plants where the frost-free season is under 210 days.
Plants that do well here
Georgia has a university or garden plant program: Georgia Gold Medal Plants (ended 2017). Plant frost-tender annuals after February 9 here (the average last frost). Not affiliated with the program.
Where these numbers come from
Station: Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon AP, GA (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USW00013878), elevation 16 ft, 6.2 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: S (standard, 24+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick, GA | 12 mi | Feb 8 | Dec 25 |
| Sapelo Is, GA | 13 mi | Feb 20 | Dec 19 |
| Brunswick 23 S, GA | 29 mi | Feb 19 | Dec 14 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 12 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 31561
When is the last frost in 31561?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 31561 is February 9. For a more cautious planting date, use March 6, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 31561?
The average first fall freeze is December 26. In 1 year in 10 it comes by November 30.
What hardiness zone is 31561?
ZIP 31561 is in USDA zone 9a (20 to 25°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 31561 right now?
This page shows the latest 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperature from the nearest public soil station (USDA SCAN, NOAA USCRN or TexMesonet), or a labeled estimate when no station is close, against the 50–55°F spring pre-emergent band.
Nearby ZIP codes
31522 St. Simons 31524 31520 Brunswick 31527 Jekyll Island 31305 Darien 31327 31525 Country Club Estates 31523
Other ZIP codes in Glynn County
31520 31522 31523 31524 31525 31527 All Glynn County frost dates · Georgia frost dates
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- Freeze alerts
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Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.