USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 35968 — Fort Payne, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Payne, AL (917 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fort Payne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Fort Payne, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 225 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
- January 18
- Last snow
- February 13
- Winters with snow
- 91%
- Snow per year
- 5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Payne
Half of springs at Fort Payne, AL see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; 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 225 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 57 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 10, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Payne, 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 35968 →Compare Fort Payne with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Payne
July is the warmest month at Fort Payne, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,326 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (2,072) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 942.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 99% | 12 | 62 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 91% | 5 | 184 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 43% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 23% | 1 | 439 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 89% | 6 | 150 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 99% | 15 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Payne, AL (917 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, Valley Head 1 SSW, AL, 11 miles northeast of Fort Payne, has a last frost 9 days later (April 7), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 30), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Fort Payne, Alabama
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fort Payne usually arrives around January 18, and the last of the season around February 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Valley Head, AL, 11.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 91% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 35968
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 35968 is 3 miles from Fort Payne, AL, which stands at 917 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35967 (Fort Payne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 35968 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.