USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36049 — Luverne, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Highland Home, AL (433 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Luverne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Highland Home, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 220 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Luverne
Half of springs at Highland Home, AL see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 17 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 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 54 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 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Highland Home, 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 36049 →Compare Luverne with another place →
Weather by month in Luverne
July is the warmest month at Highland Home, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 32°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,133 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,032) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 871.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 32 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Feb | 61 | 35 | 99% | 11 | 78 |
| Mar | 69 | 41 | 91% | 5 | 196 |
| Apr | 76 | 47 | 45% | 1 | 346 |
| May | 83 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Jun | 88 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Oct | 77 | 50 | 28% | 1 | 429 |
| Nov | 67 | 39 | 95% | 7 | 165 |
| Dec | 60 | 35 | 100% | 13 | 84 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Highland Home, AL (433 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, Troy 2 W, AL, 16 miles east of Luverne, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 17), a first frost 11 days later (November 16), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Luverne, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Highland Home, AL, 10 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36049
| 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 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 36049 is 10 miles from Highland Home, AL, which stands at 433 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36049 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.