USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35062 — Dora, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jasper, AL (486 ft), 20 miles northwest.
Updated
In Dora, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Jasper, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 220 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
- 26%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dora
Half of springs at Jasper, AL see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 73 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 11, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jasper, 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 35062 →Compare Dora with another place →
Weather by month in Dora
July is the warmest month at Jasper, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,028 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,946) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 921. Precipitation totals 61.8 inches a year, most in January (6.1") and least in October (3.8"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 6.1 | 100% | 19 | 36 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 6.0 | 100% | 15 | 49 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 5.8 | 95% | 8 | 164 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 6.0 | 44% | 2 | 332 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 902 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.8 | 34% | 1 | 380 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 5.0 | 95% | 10 | 133 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 6.0 | 100% | 18 | 49 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jasper, AL (486 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, 20 miles southeast of Dora, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 7 days later (November 11), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Dora, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jasper, AL, 20 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35062
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 35062 is 20 miles from Jasper, AL, which stands at 486 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35504 (Jasper). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35062 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.