USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35447 — Carrollton, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aliceville, AL (195 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Carrollton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Aliceville, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Carrollton
Half of springs at Aliceville, AL see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 62 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 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 68%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aliceville, 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 35447 →Compare Carrollton with another place →
Weather by month in Carrollton
July is the warmest month at Aliceville, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,569 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,215) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 962.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 56 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 98% | 13 | 83 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 85% | 8 | 231 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 33% | 1 | 381 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 962 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Oct | 77 | 52 | 20% | 1 | 455 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 90% | 9 | 176 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 99% | 14 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aliceville, AL (195 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, Columbus, MS, 19 miles northwest of Carrollton, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 4 days later (November 12), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Carrollton, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Aliceville, AL, 8.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35447
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 35447 is 9 miles from Aliceville, AL, which stands at 195 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35442 (Aliceville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35447 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.