USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35054 — Cropwell, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Talladega, AL (448 ft), 12 miles southeast.
Updated
In Cropwell, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 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 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Talladega, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 208 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
- 11%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cropwell
Half of springs at Talladega, AL see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 22 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 230 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 71 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 13 days longer, to about April 18, and return around October 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Talladega, 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 35054 →Compare Cropwell with another place →
Weather by month in Cropwell
July is the warmest month at Talladega, AL, averaging 91°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,053 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,973) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 914. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in February (6.0") and least in October (3.4"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 5.3 | 100% | 18 | 44 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 6.0 | 100% | 14 | 60 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 5.8 | 97% | 8 | 170 |
| Apr | 75 | 46 | 4.8 | 64% | 2 | 329 |
| May | 82 | 56 | 4.7 | 2% | 0 | 585 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 3.4 | 50% | 2 | 387 |
| Nov | 65 | 38 | 4.7 | 96% | 11 | 131 |
| Dec | 57 | 33 | 5.2 | 100% | 17 | 61 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Talladega, AL (448 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, Childersburg Wtp, AL, 15 miles south of Cropwell, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 1 day later (November 2), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Cropwell, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Talladega, AL, 12.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35054
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 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 35054 is 12 miles from Talladega, AL, which stands at 448 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35160 (Talladega). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35054 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.