USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35962 — Crossville, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sand Mt Substn, AL (1,190 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Crossville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 217 days (NOAA, Sand Mt Substn, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 217 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 Crossville
Half of springs at Sand Mt Substn, AL see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 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 November 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 65 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 12, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 90% of winters, usually between January 4 and February 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sand Mt Substn, 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 35962 →Compare Crossville with another place →
Weather by month in Crossville
July is the warmest month at Sand Mt Substn, AL, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 30°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 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,588 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,769) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 854. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in December (5.8") and least in October (3.4"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 5.3 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 5.2 | 100% | 14 | 39 |
| Mar | 62 | 40 | 5.5 | 95% | 7 | 139 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.3 | 49% | 1 | 293 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.4 | 36% | 1 | 345 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.5 | 98% | 8 | 106 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.8 | 99% | 16 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sand Mt Substn, AL (1,190 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, Gadsden 19 N, AL, 4 miles east of Crossville, has a last frost 1 day later (April 1), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 31), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Crossville, 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, 3.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 35962
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 35962 is 4 miles from Sand Mt Substn, AL, which stands at 1,190 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35962 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.