USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 35772 — Stevenson, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bridgeport 5 NW, AL (664 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Stevenson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Bridgeport 5 NW, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 208 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 Stevenson
Half of springs at Bridgeport 5 NW, AL see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 28 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 88% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 184 one year in ten. On average 79 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 19, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between December 31 and February 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bridgeport 5 NW, 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 35772 →Compare Stevenson with another place →
Weather by month in Stevenson
July is the warmest month at Bridgeport 5 NW, AL, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,459 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,701) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 856.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 29 | 100% | 21 | 17 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 97% | 9 | 122 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 63% | 2 | 282 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 8% | <1 | 526 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 726 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 636 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 53% | 2 | 318 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 98% | 11 | 93 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 27 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bridgeport 5 NW, AL (664 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, 15 miles southwest of Stevenson, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 2), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 30), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Stevenson, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 29 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Scottsboro, AL, 18.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35772
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 35772 is 7 miles from Bridgeport 5 NW, AL, which stands at 664 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37347 (Jasper). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35772 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.