USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35546 — Berry, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fayette, AL (357 ft), 15 miles northwest.
Updated
In Berry, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Fayette, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 234 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
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Berry
Half of springs at Fayette, AL see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by February 27, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 9 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 69 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 15 days longer, to about April 4, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 55%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fayette, 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 35546 →Compare Berry with another place →
Weather by month in Berry
July is the warmest month at Fayette, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 83% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,555 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,236) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 969. Precipitation totals 57.0 inches a year, most in April (5.8") and least in September (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 | 55 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 56 |
| Feb | 59 | 37 | 5.5 | 97% | 14 | 81 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 5.3 | 83% | 7 | 218 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.8 | 23% | 1 | 393 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 841 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 931 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 3.5 | 20% | 1 | 437 |
| Nov | 65 | 41 | 4.3 | 88% | 9 | 160 |
| Dec | 57 | 37 | 5.7 | 97% | 17 | 75 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fayette, AL (357 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, Bankhead L&D, AL, 18 miles southeast of Berry, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days later (November 11), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Berry, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fayette, AL, 14.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35546
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 35546 is 15 miles from Fayette, AL, which stands at 357 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 35555 (Fayette). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35546 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.