USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35906 — Rainbow City, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gadsden, AL (565 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Rainbow City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 240 days (NOAA, Gadsden, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 240 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rainbow City
Half of springs at Gadsden, AL see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 27, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 55% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 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 14 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 24, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 240 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 217 one year in ten. On average 53 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 1, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 60%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gadsden, 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 35906 →Compare Rainbow City with another place →
Weather by month in Rainbow City
July is the warmest month at Gadsden, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 33°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,448 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,160) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 962. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in January (5.7") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 5.7 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 5.2 | 98% | 12 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 5.4 | 85% | 5 | 199 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.1 | 20% | <1 | 385 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 962 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.5 | 8% | <1 | 437 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 4.3 | 86% | 6 | 146 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 5.5 | 98% | 14 | 59 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gadsden, AL (565 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, Oneonta, AL, 21 miles west of Rainbow City and 535 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days later (March 26), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 10), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Rainbow City, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Gadsden, AL, 6.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35906
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 35906 is 7 miles from Gadsden, AL, which stands at 565 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 35901 (Gadsden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35906 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.