USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35960 — Centre, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Centre, AL (600 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Centre, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 22 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 207 days (NOAA, Centre, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 207 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
- 46%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Centre
Half of springs at Centre, AL see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 22 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 31 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 207 days in a typical year, shorter than at 92% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 230 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 77 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 18, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Centre, 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 35960 →Compare Centre with another place →
Weather by month in Centre
July is the warmest month at Centre, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,626 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,758) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 873.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 25 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 39 |
| Mar | 64 | 38 | 98% | 9 | 132 |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 66% | 1 | 289 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 530 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 658 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 52% | 1 | 353 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 92 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 100% | 19 | 41 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Centre, AL (600 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, Fort Payne, AL, 22 miles north of Centre and 317 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 29), a first frost 8 days later (November 8), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Centre, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cedartown, GA, 22 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35960
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 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 35960 is 5 miles from Centre, AL, which stands at 600 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36272 (Piedmont). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35960 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.