USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35175 — Union Grove, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL (590 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Union Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 210 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Union Grove
Half of springs at Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 229 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 78 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 16, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 91% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 23 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Owens Cross Roads 3S, 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 35175 →Compare Union Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Union Grove
July is the warmest month at Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,600 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,756) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 873. Precipitation totals 58.0 inches a year, most in December (6.2") and least in August (3.7"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 5.9 | 100% | 19 | 32 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.5 | 100% | 16 | 43 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.5 | 97% | 9 | 127 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.1 | 61% | 1 | 284 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 531 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Oct | 74 | 47 | 3.7 | 54% | 2 | 342 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.6 | 98% | 12 | 92 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 6.2 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Owens Cross Roads 3S, 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, Guntersville, AL, 13 miles southeast of Union Grove, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 19 days later (November 18), a season 34 days longer.
When it snows in Union Grove, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Guntersville, AL, 12.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35175
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 35175 is 10 miles from Owens Cross Roads 3S, AL, which stands at 590 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35811 (Huntsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35175 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.