USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35125 — Pell City, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Talladega 10 NNE, AL (525 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Pell City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Talladega 10 NNE, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 225 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 Pell City
Half of springs at Talladega 10 NNE, 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 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 55% 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 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 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 March 28, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 225 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 202 one year in ten. On average 60 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 15 days longer, to about April 10, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 71%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Talladega 10 NNE, 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 35125 →Compare Pell City with another place →
Weather by month in Pell City
July is the warmest month at Talladega 10 NNE, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,244 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,089) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in March (5.7") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 4.9 | 100% | 19 | 56 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 5.1 | 98% | 12 | 78 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.7 | 87% | 5 | 194 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 4.4 | 39% | <1 | 351 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 810 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 3.1 | 31% | 1 | 411 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 4.9 | 98% | 9 | 124 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 5.0 | 99% | 14 | 72 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Talladega 10 NNE, AL (525 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, Talladega, AL, 16 miles southeast of Pell City, has a last frost 10 days later (April 5), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 1), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Pell City, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Talladega, AL, 15.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35125
| 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 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 35125 is 14 miles from Talladega 10 NNE, AL, which stands at 525 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35125 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.