USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 35127 — Pleasant Grove, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bessemer 3 WSW, AL (445 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Pleasant Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Bessemer 3 WSW, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 231 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 14%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pleasant Grove
Half of springs at Bessemer 3 WSW, AL see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 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 10 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, shorter than at 49% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 57 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 14 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 65%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F65% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F65% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bessemer 3 WSW, 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 35127 →Compare Pleasant Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Pleasant Grove
July is the warmest month at Bessemer 3 WSW, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 34°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 89% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,646 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,257) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 966. Precipitation totals 55.7 inches a year, most in January (5.4") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 5.4 | 100% | 17 | 58 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 5.4 | 99% | 12 | 87 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 5.4 | 89% | 5 | 221 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.1 | 29% | 1 | 395 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 657 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 966 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 3.3 | 19% | 1 | 464 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.5 | 91% | 7 | 168 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 5.2 | 99% | 14 | 79 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bessemer 3 WSW, AL (445 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, 14 miles east of Pleasant Grove and 170 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 1 day later (November 11), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Pleasant Grove, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bessemer 3 WSW, AL, 6.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35127
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 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 35127 is 7 miles from Bessemer 3 WSW, AL, which stands at 445 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35020 (Bessemer). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35127 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.