USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35150 — Sylacauga, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sylacauga 4 NE, AL (490 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Sylacauga, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Sylacauga 4 NE, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 211 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
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sylacauga
Half of springs at Sylacauga 4 NE, AL see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 19 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 October 31 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 238 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 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 14, and return around October 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 85%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sylacauga 4 NE, 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 35150 →Compare Sylacauga with another place →
Weather by month in Sylacauga
July is the warmest month at Sylacauga 4 NE, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,108 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,028) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 911. Precipitation totals 57.3 inches a year, most in February (5.9") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 | 5.6 | 100% | 19 | 51 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 5.9 | 99% | 15 | 66 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 5.5 | 95% | 8 | 189 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.8 | 57% | 2 | 343 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 3.5 | 52% | 2 | 388 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 4.7 | 97% | 12 | 140 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 5.3 | 100% | 16 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sylacauga 4 NE, AL (490 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, 9 miles northwest of Sylacauga, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 2 days later (November 2), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Sylacauga, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sylacauga 4 NE, AL, 2.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35150
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 35150 is 3 miles from Sylacauga 4 NE, AL, which stands at 490 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35150 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.