USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35586 — Sulligent, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Vernon, AL (298 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Sulligent, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Vernon, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sulligent
Half of springs at Vernon, AL see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 66 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 10, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 71%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Vernon, 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 35586 →Compare Sulligent with another place →
Weather by month in Sulligent
July is the warmest month at Vernon, AL, averaging 92°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 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 89% of years and April still brings one in 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,656 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,277) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 967. Precipitation totals 58.5 inches a year, most in December (6.0") and least in September (3.4"); 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 | 33 | 5.3 | 100% | 18 | 58 |
| Feb | 59 | 37 | 4.9 | 99% | 13 | 88 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 5.6 | 89% | 7 | 234 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.9 | 43% | 2 | 395 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 3.8 | 31% | 2 | 445 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.6 | 89% | 9 | 179 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 6.0 | 99% | 16 | 80 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Vernon, AL (298 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, Winfield 2 SW, AL, 17 miles east of Sulligent and 222 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (April 4), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 1), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Sulligent, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sulligent, AL, 3.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35586
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 35586 is 9 miles from Vernon, AL, which stands at 298 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 39740 (Caledonia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35586 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.