USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35184 — West Blocton, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Centreville 6 SW, AL (450 ft), 18 miles south.
Updated
In West Blocton, 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 November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 215 days (NOAA, Centreville 6 SW, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 215 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Blocton
Half of springs at Centreville 6 SW, AL see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 15, 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 14 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 November 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 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 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 215 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 193 one year in ten. On average 67 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 16, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Centreville 6 SW, 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 35184 →Compare West Blocton with another place →
Weather by month in West Blocton
July is the warmest month at Centreville 6 SW, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 32°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 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,142 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (2,019) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 908. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in February (5.9") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 17 | 52 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 5.9 | 99% | 14 | 73 |
| Mar | 68 | 40 | 5.6 | 95% | 7 | 183 |
| Apr | 75 | 47 | 4.7 | 54% | 1 | 337 |
| May | 82 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Jun | 88 | 64 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 706 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 3.3 | 43% | 1 | 411 |
| Nov | 65 | 38 | 4.8 | 95% | 10 | 137 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 5.4 | 99% | 16 | 67 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Centreville 6 SW, AL (450 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, Helena, AL, 20 miles northeast of West Blocton, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 6 days later (November 8), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in West Blocton, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Centreville 6 SW, AL, 18.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35184
| 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 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 35184 is 18 miles from Centreville 6 SW, AL, which stands at 450 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35184 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.