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When to plant in Laurel, MS

USDA Zone 8b

Here are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Laurel, Mississippi — all computed from Laurel's nearest NOAA weather station.

Laurel enjoys a long ~245-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. In zone 8b, Laurel supports a wide range of perennials year-round; the frost dates above are what set your annual vegetable timing.

Station · LAUREL · 2.9 km
Last spring frost
March 12
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 12
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
245 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for LaurelA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Laurel: last spring frost around March 12, first fall frost around November 12, about 245 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

LAUREL · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Laurel’s own odds, recorded at LAUREL.

Frost-probability curves for LaurelProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 12 and the first fall frost around November 12, giving about 245 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 14Mar 28Mar 7Oct 21Nov 2Nov 18
32°FApr 1Mar 12Feb 22Oct 30Nov 12Dec 1
28°FMar 18Feb 28Jan 31Nov 4Nov 23Dec 21

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 4 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 23August 6
Fall sowin 18 days
Rutabaga
August 6August 20

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Laurel, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 45 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

LAUREL
Primary
3 km · 69 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 12
FALL
Nov 12
COLLINS
39 km · 88 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 17
FALL
Nov 12
WAYNESBORO 2 W
45 km · 61 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 17
FALL
Nov 9

Laurel planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Laurel, MS?

Laurel's average last spring frost falls near March 12 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.

When is the first fall frost in Laurel, MS?

Expect Laurel's first fall frost near November 12 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Laurel in?

Laurel is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. In zone 8b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Laurel?

Laurel has about 245 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (March 12) and first fall frost (November 12).

When should I plant tomatoes in Laurel?

For Laurel, sow tomatoes indoors about January 15–January 29 and move the seedlings out around March 19, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Laurel

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Laurel’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at LAUREL, 3 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Laurel, MS — Frost Dates & Zone 8b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00224939. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/mississippi/laurel.
When to Plant in Laurel, MS — Frost Dates & Zone 8b — BlissGarden