USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36064 — Pike Road, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Montgomery 6SW, AL (225 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Pike Road, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 4 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 262 days (NOAA, Montgomery 6SW, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 4
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 262 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
- 11%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pike Road
Half of springs at Montgomery 6SW, AL see their last 32°F night by March 4; only one in ten is past it by February 9, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 23 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 262 days in a typical year, longer than at 89% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 293 days one year in ten and falls short of 234 one year in ten. On average 40 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 13 days longer, to about March 17, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 91% of winters and 16°F in 26%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 21 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 27 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 24°F91% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Montgomery 6SW, 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 36064 →Compare Pike Road with another place →
Weather by month in Pike Road
July is the warmest month at Montgomery 6SW, AL, averaging 94°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 88% of years and March still brings one in 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,886 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (2,913) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,071. Precipitation totals 51.9 inches a year, most in January (5.2") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 40 | 5.2 | 99% | 12 | 132 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 5.1 | 88% | 8 | 176 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 4.9 | 59% | 3 | 353 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 1% | <1 | 525 |
| May | 86 | 64 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Jul | 94 | 75 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 1071 |
| Aug | 94 | 74 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 1048 |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 3.1 | 8% | 1 | 570 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 4.3 | 71% | 5 | 263 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 4.8 | 94% | 11 | 152 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Montgomery 6SW, AL (225 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, Milstead, AL, 15 miles northeast of Pike Road, has a last frost 21 days later (March 25), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 8), a season 34 days shorter.
When it snows in Pike Road, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Milstead, AL, 14.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36064
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 24 – January 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 36064 is 8 miles from Montgomery 6SW, AL, which stands at 225 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36117 (Montgomery). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36064 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.