USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35672 — Town Creek, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Courtland 2 WSW, AL (575 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Town Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Courtland 2 WSW, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 221 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 Town Creek
Half of springs at Courtland 2 WSW, AL see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 64 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 9, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Courtland 2 WSW, 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 35672 →Compare Town Creek with another place →
Weather by month in Town Creek
July is the warmest month at Courtland 2 WSW, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 31°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,915 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,939) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 913. Precipitation totals 56.2 inches a year, most in February (5.5") and least in August (3.7"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 5.0 | 100% | 19 | 40 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 14 | 58 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 5.5 | 94% | 7 | 157 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 4.9 | 41% | <1 | 323 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 581 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.7 | 35% | 1 | 360 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 4.2 | 96% | 9 | 105 |
| Dec | 53 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 15 | 54 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Courtland 2 WSW, AL (575 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, Moulton 2, AL, 12 miles southeast of Town Creek, has a last frost 5 days later (April 2), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 31), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Town Creek, 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, 20.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35672
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 35672 is 4 miles from Courtland 2 WSW, AL, which stands at 575 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35672 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.