USDA zone 8a in Mississippi
USDA plant hardiness zone 8a covers 29 locations across Mississippi (average annual extreme minimum 10 to 15 °F): Batesville, MS, Booneville, MS, Carrollton, MS, Cleveland, MS, Clinton, MS, Darling, MS, and 23 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 6 (Clinton) to April 8 (New Albany), and growing seasons run 202–258 days (New Albany to Clinton) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Mississippi location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses West Point, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 8a10 to 15 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 6–Apr 8avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 28–Nov 19avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 202–258days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batesville | Sardis, Oakland, Pope, Courtland, Sledge, Crowder | Batesville 2 Sw | Mar 28 | Nov 2 | 218 |
| Booneville | Baldwyn, Guntown, Kirkville, New Site, Dennis | Booneville | Apr 1 | Nov 3 | 216 |
| Carrollton | North Carrollton | Greenwood Leflore Ap | Mar 17 | Nov 5 | 231 |
| Cleveland | — | Cleveland | Mar 14 | Nov 15 | 248 |
| Clinton | — | Jackson Hawkins Fld | Mar 6 | Nov 19 | 258 |
| Darling | Charleston, Marks, Lambert | Lambert 1w | Mar 17 | Nov 7 | 233 |
| Glen | Biggersville | Corinth 7 Sw | Apr 2 | Nov 1 | 213 |
| Grenada | Holcomb, Tillatoba | Grenada | Mar 28 | Nov 4 | 222 |
| Hernando | Walls, Bridgetown | Hernando | Mar 28 | Nov 5 | 223 |
| Houston | Woodland | Houston | Mar 28 | Nov 1 | 220 |
| Jackson | — | Jackson Intl Ap | Mar 14 | Nov 14 | 245 |
| Kosciusko | Ethel, West, Sallis | Kosciusko | Mar 18 | Nov 11 | 239 |
| Lexington | Durant | Lexington | Mar 31 | Nov 1 | 218 |
| Louisville | Ackerman, Sturgis, Weir, McCool | Louisville | Mar 21 | Nov 13 | 235 |
| Lyon | Jonestown | Clarksdale | Mar 16 | Nov 12 | 243 |
| Mantee | Bruce, Calhoun, Coffeeville, Slate Springs, Vardaman, Big Creek | Calhoun City | Mar 28 | Nov 5 | 223 |
| Mathiston | Maben, Walthall | Eupora 2 E | Mar 30 | Nov 4 | 218 |
| New Albany | Bethlehem, Myrtle, Blue Mountain, Potts Camp | Hickory Flat | Apr 8 | Oct 28 | 202 |
| Okolona | Shannon, Nettleton, Plantersville | Verona Exp Stn | Mar 21 | Nov 9 | 233 |
| Olive Branch | — | Olive Branch | Mar 26 | Nov 6 | 227 |
| Oxford | Abbeville, Taylor, Paris, Waterford | University | Apr 3 | Oct 31 | 210 |
| Pontotoc | Thaxton, Ecru, Randolph, New Houlka | Pontotoc Exp Stn | Mar 28 | Nov 8 | 227 |
| Senatobia | Byhalia, Coldwater, Como | Independence 1w | Apr 3 | Oct 31 | 212 |
| Starkville | West Point, Pheba, Artesia | State Univ | Mar 23 | Nov 8 | 233 |
| Tunica Resorts | Strayhorn, Hughes, Tunica | Tunica 2 N | Mar 14 | Nov 15 | 248 |
| Tupelo | Saltillo, Blue Springs, Sherman | Tupelo Rgnl Ap | Mar 21 | Nov 10 | 235 |
| Water Valley | — | Water Valley | Apr 1 | Nov 3 | 219 |
| West Point * | Aberdeen, Hamilton, Hatley, Gattman | Aberdeen | Mar 29 | Nov 5 | 223 |
| Winona | Kilmichael, Vaiden, Stewart, Duck Hill, French Camp, North Carrollton | Winona 5 E | Apr 7 | Oct 29 | 203 |
* West Point is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (West Point, representative)
Computed from West Point's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Mississippizone 8a group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | Jun 4 – Jun 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 18 – Feb 1 | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jun 11 – Jul 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 25 – Jun 14 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 20 – Jun 4 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 25 – Jun 4 | Sep 6 – Sep 16 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 28 – Jun 27 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 5 – May 20 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 15 – Apr 30 | Aug 23 – Sep 7 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 11 – Apr 26 | Aug 13 – Aug 28 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 27 – Apr 6 | Sep 2 – Sep 12 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | May 7 – May 27 | Aug 3 – Aug 23 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 25 – May 15 | Aug 8 – Aug 28 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using West Point's own 223-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (West Point)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00220021. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 27 | Oct 28 | Nov 10 | 201 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Mar 29 | Apr 14 | Nov 5 | Nov 20 | 223 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Apr 3 | Nov 15 | Dec 3 | 248 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 18 | Dec 1 | Dec 27 | 276 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 29 locations is 5,374; West Point's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 5,086 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 8,062 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 8a in Mississippi
Zone 8a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 10 to 15 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Mississippi spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Mississippi locations for the full range, including zones7b, 8b, 9a.
Explore zone 8a in other states at zone 8a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 8a mean in Mississippi?
- Zone 8a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 10 to 15 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 29 locations in Mississippi fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Mississippi's zone 8a is the growing season longest?
- Clinton runs the longest season on this page at about 258 days; New Albany is shortest at about 202 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Mississippi's zone 8a?
- Using West Point's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 1 – Feb 15, then transplant outside about Apr 5 – Apr 12. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Mississippi's zone 8a have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 29 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.