USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36053 — Midway, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clayton, AL (569 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Midway, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 11 in half of years and has passed by March 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Clayton, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 11
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 254 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Midway
Half of springs at Clayton, AL see their last 32°F night by March 11; only one in ten is past it by February 17, and one in ten still has one after March 30. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 24 20%, and after March 30 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 November 19 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 44 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 16 days longer, to about March 27, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 27%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F27% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
| 20°F67% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 7 |
| 16°F27% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clayton, 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 36053 →Compare Midway with another place →
Weather by month in Midway
July is the warmest month at Clayton, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,060 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,484) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 55.5 inches a year, most in July (6.0") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 37 | 4.6 | 99% | 13 | 89 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 5.2 | 95% | 9 | 123 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 5.2 | 73% | 4 | 276 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 5.0 | 7% | 1 | 436 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 953 |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 3.3 | 8% | 1 | 519 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 3.8 | 72% | 5 | 232 |
| Dec | 60 | 40 | 5.6 | 95% | 11 | 117 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clayton, AL (569 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, Union Springs 9 S, AL, 16 miles west of Midway, has a last frost 14 days later (March 25), a first frost 13 days earlier (November 6), a season 28 days shorter.
When it snows in Midway, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clayton, AL, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36053
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 31 – January 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 14 – January 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 36053 is 10 miles from Clayton, AL, which stands at 569 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36016 (Clayton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36053 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.