USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35961 — Collinsville, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gadsden 19 N, AL (1,152 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Collinsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 212 days (NOAA, Gadsden 19 N, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 212 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
- 48%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Collinsville
Half of springs at Gadsden 19 N, AL see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 20 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 October 31 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 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 6, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 212 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 237 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 67 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 14 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gadsden 19 N, 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 35961 →Compare Collinsville with another place →
Weather by month in Collinsville
July is the warmest month at Gadsden 19 N, AL, averaging 87°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 31°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,371 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 115 Alabama stations. 38% of them (1,681) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 825. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in December (6.1") and least in August (3.9"); 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 | 31 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 32 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 5.0 | 100% | 15 | 47 |
| Mar | 61 | 41 | 5.6 | 94% | 7 | 132 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 5.2 | 51% | 1 | 275 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 1% | 0 | 500 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 610 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | 51% | 1 | 318 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 98% | 10 | 91 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 6.1 | 99% | 15 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gadsden 19 N, AL (1,152 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, Sand Mt Substn, AL, 6 miles west of Collinsville, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 31), a first frost 3 days later (November 3), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Collinsville, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sand Mt Substn, AL, 6.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35961
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 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 35961 is 6 miles from Gadsden 19 N, AL, which stands at 1,152 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35961 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.