USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35049 — Cleveland, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Oneonta, AL (1,100 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Cleveland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Oneonta, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cleveland
Half of springs at Oneonta, AL see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 10 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 65 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 11 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 73%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Oneonta, 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 35049 →Compare Cleveland with another place →
Weather by month in Cleveland
July is the warmest month at Oneonta, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,298 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (2,083) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in December (5.8") and least in October (3.4"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 17 | 44 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 5.5 | 99% | 15 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.1 | 87% | 7 | 196 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 5.6 | 34% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 612 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 20% | 1 | 417 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 88% | 8 | 156 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 5.8 | 99% | 16 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Oneonta, AL (1,100 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, Hanceville, AL, 13 miles northwest of Cleveland and 510 feet lower, has a last frost 11 days later (April 6), a first frost 12 days earlier (October 29), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Cleveland, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Oneonta, AL, 10.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35049
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 35049 is 10 miles from Oneonta, AL, which stands at 1,100 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35121 (Oneonta). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35049 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.