USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35950 — Albertville, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Guntersville, AL (578 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Albertville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 244 days (NOAA, Guntersville, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 244 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albertville
Half of springs at Guntersville, AL see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 5. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 5 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 244 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 219 one year in ten. On average 52 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 7. 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 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F88% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Guntersville, 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 35950 →Compare Albertville with another place →
Weather by month in Albertville
July is the warmest month at Guntersville, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,242 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (2,019) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 938. Precipitation totals 56.9 inches a year, most in December (6.0") and least in October (3.5"); 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 | 33 | 5.3 | 100% | 16 | 34 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 5.4 | 99% | 12 | 50 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 5.7 | 85% | 5 | 168 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 5.0 | 19% | <1 | 346 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Jun | 86 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 3.5 | 5% | <1 | 427 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.2 | 77% | 5 | 139 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 6.0 | 98% | 14 | 54 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Guntersville, AL (578 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, Guntersville No.2, AL, 8 miles northwest of Albertville, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 17), a first frost 1 day later (November 19), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Albertville, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Guntersville, AL, 7.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35950
| 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 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 35950 is 8 miles from Guntersville, AL, which stands at 578 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 35950 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.