USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35611 — Athens, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Athens, AL (689 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Athens, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Athens, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 238 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
- 43%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Athens
Half of springs at Athens, AL see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 26, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 265 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 63 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 November 1. 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 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 29 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Athens, 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 35611 →Compare Athens with another place →
Weather by month in Athens
July is the warmest month at Athens, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,436 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,148) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 961. Precipitation totals 59.1 inches a year, most in December (6.3") and least in September (3.8"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 46 |
| Feb | 56 | 37 | 5.4 | 99% | 14 | 64 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 5.6 | 87% | 7 | 193 |
| Apr | 73 | 51 | 5.4 | 24% | 1 | 379 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 4.0 | 9% | 1 | 430 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 4.6 | 88% | 8 | 152 |
| Dec | 54 | 37 | 6.3 | 99% | 15 | 64 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Athens, AL (689 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, Belle Mina 2 N, AL, 11 miles southeast of Athens, has a last frost 11 days later (March 31), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 1), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Athens, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Athens, AL, 4.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35611
| 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 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 35611 is 4 miles from Athens, AL, which stands at 689 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 35611 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.