USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35079 — Hayden, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hanceville, AL (590 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Hayden, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 205 days (NOAA, Hanceville, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 205 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hayden
Half of springs at Hanceville, AL see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 24 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 October 29 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 205 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 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 18, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hanceville, 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 35079 →Compare Hayden with another place →
Weather by month in Hayden
July is the warmest month at Hanceville, AL, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 30°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,556 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,735) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 859. Precipitation totals 59.1 inches a year, most in January (5.8") and least in October (3.6"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 5.8 | 100% | 19 | 30 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.8 | 100% | 15 | 39 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 5.8 | 97% | 8 | 140 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.6 | 66% | 1 | 286 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.9 | 1% | 0 | 519 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 721 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 839 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.6 | 63% | 2 | 335 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 100% | 11 | 98 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 5.8 | 100% | 17 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hanceville, AL (590 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, Pinson, AL, 17 miles south of Hayden, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 3 days later (November 1), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Hayden, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Palmerdale, AL, 14 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35079
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 35079 is 10 miles from Hanceville, AL, which stands at 590 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35077 (Hanceville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35079 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.