USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36051 — ZIP 36051
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clanton, AL (590 ft), 12 miles northwest.
Updated
In ZIP 36051, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Clanton, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in ZIP 36051
Half of springs at Clanton, AL see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date measure how much the end of the frost season moves from year to year.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 10 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year; it reaches 260 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 56 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 5, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 64%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clanton, 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 36051 →Compare ZIP 36051 with another place →
Weather by month in ZIP 36051
July is the warmest month at Clanton, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,493 growing degree days a year (base 50°F). 40% of them (2,219) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 939. Precipitation totals 60.0 inches a year, most in March (6.0") 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 | 56 | 33 | 5.9 | 100% | 17 | 58 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 5.8 | 98% | 11 | 85 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 6.0 | 87% | 5 | 224 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.5 | 28% | 1 | 386 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 822 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 939 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.4 | 18% | 1 | 437 |
| Nov | 65 | 41 | 4.7 | 91% | 7 | 160 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 5.8 | 99% | 15 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clanton, AL (590 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, Clanton 2 NE, AL, 14 miles northwest of ZIP 36051, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 22), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in ZIP 36051
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clanton, AL, 11.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36051
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 36051 is 12 miles from Clanton, AL, which stands at 590 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 36022 (Deatsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36051 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.