USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35810 — Huntsville, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Huntsville International Airport, AL (624 ft), 13 miles southwest.
Updated
In Huntsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 229 days (NOAA, Huntsville International Airport, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 229 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 Huntsville
Half of springs at Huntsville International Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 229 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 56 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 11 days longer, to about April 4, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 77%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Huntsville International Airport, 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 35810 →Compare Huntsville with another place →
Weather by month in Huntsville
July is the warmest month at Huntsville International Airport, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 33°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,547 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,226) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 970. Precipitation totals 54.6 inches a year, most in December (5.9") and least in September (3.5"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 5.0 | 100% | 16 | 47 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.1 | 99% | 12 | 70 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.4 | 91% | 5 | 197 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 4.9 | 27% | <1 | 395 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.6 | 22% | 1 | 438 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.3 | 93% | 8 | 153 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 5.9 | 99% | 14 | 66 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Huntsville International Airport, AL (624 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, 16 miles west of Huntsville, has a last frost 7 days later (March 31), a first frost 7 days earlier (November 1), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Huntsville, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Athens, AL, 19.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35810
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 35810 is 13 miles from Huntsville International Airport, AL, which stands at 624 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35758 (Madison). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35810 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.