USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 35768 — Scottsboro, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Scottsboro, AL (615 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Scottsboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Scottsboro, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 209 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Scottsboro
Half of springs at Scottsboro, AL see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 20 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 October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 89% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 75 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 13 days longer, to about April 17, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 26 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Scottsboro, 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 35768 →Compare Scottsboro with another place →
Weather by month in Scottsboro
July is the warmest month at Scottsboro, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 29°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 4,680 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,780) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 880. Precipitation totals 59.9 inches a year, most in December (6.2") and least in October (3.6"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 29 | 6.1 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 5.7 | 100% | 16 | 36 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.7 | 98% | 9 | 130 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.0 | 61% | 1 | 291 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 541 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.6 | 56% | 2 | 351 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 4.8 | 98% | 11 | 106 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 6.2 | 100% | 17 | 40 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Scottsboro, AL (615 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, Scottsboro 2 NE, AL, 5 miles east of Scottsboro, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 2), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Scottsboro, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 29 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Scottsboro, AL, 3.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35768
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 35768 is 3 miles from Scottsboro, AL, which stands at 615 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35768 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.