USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35585 — Spruce Pine, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Russellville 4 SSE, AL (720 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Spruce Pine, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 205 days (NOAA, Russellville 4 SSE, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 205 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spruce Pine
Half of springs at Russellville 4 SSE, AL see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 22 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 205 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 76 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 19, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between December 29 and February 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Russellville 4 SSE, 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 35585 →Compare Spruce Pine with another place →
Weather by month in Spruce Pine
July is the warmest month at Russellville 4 SSE, AL, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 4,602 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (1,821) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 857. Precipitation totals 58.8 inches a year, most in December (6.3") and least in November (3.9"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 4.8 | 100% | 20 | 42 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 15 | 57 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 5.3 | 97% | 8 | 150 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 61% | 2 | 301 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 2% | 0 | 537 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 857 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 619 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 4.2 | 63% | 2 | 323 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 3.9 | 99% | 13 | 98 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 6.3 | 100% | 16 | 51 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Russellville 4 SSE, AL (720 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, Russellville #2, AL, 7 miles northeast of Spruce Pine, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 7 days later (November 4), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Spruce Pine, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Russellville #2, AL, 7.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35585
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 35585 is 6 miles from Russellville 4 SSE, AL, which stands at 720 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 35581 (Phil Campbell). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35585 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.