USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35004 — Moody, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pinson, AL (608 ft), 12 miles northwest.
Updated
In Moody, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 212 days (NOAA, Pinson, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 212 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Moody
Half of springs at Pinson, AL see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 212 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 72 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 25 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pinson, AL, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 35004 →Compare Moody with another place →
Weather by month in Moody
July is the warmest month at Pinson, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,076 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,996) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 908. Precipitation totals 57.1 inches a year, most in March (5.7") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 5.1 | 100% | 19 | 41 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 5.4 | 100% | 15 | 60 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 5.7 | 96% | 8 | 183 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 5.0 | 57% | 2 | 346 |
| May | 82 | 56 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.3 | 45% | 2 | 393 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.6 | 99% | 10 | 133 |
| Dec | 56 | 34 | 5.1 | 100% | 17 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pinson, AL (608 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Birmingham Airport, AL, 14 miles west of Moody, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 10 days later (November 11), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Moody, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Leeds, AL, 7.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35004
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 35004 is 12 miles from Pinson, AL, which stands at 608 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35215 (Birmingham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35004 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.