USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36093 — Wetumpka, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Milstead, AL (215 ft), 16 miles east.
Updated
In Wetumpka, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 13 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 228 days (NOAA, Milstead, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 228 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
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wetumpka
Half of springs at Milstead, AL see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 254 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 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 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 49%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Milstead, 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 36093 →Compare Wetumpka with another place →
Weather by month in Wetumpka
July is the warmest month at Milstead, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 34°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 90% of years and April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,465 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,178) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 935. Precipitation totals 54.1 inches a year, most in March (5.3") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 5.1 | 100% | 16 | 63 |
| Feb | 61 | 36 | 4.7 | 99% | 12 | 81 |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 5.3 | 90% | 5 | 207 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 4.6 | 32% | 1 | 375 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 935 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Oct | 77 | 52 | 3.1 | 23% | <1 | 452 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 4.3 | 90% | 6 | 170 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 5.1 | 99% | 14 | 79 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Milstead, AL (215 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, Montgomery 6SW, AL, 17 miles south of Wetumpka, has a last frost 21 days earlier (March 4), a first frost 10 days later (November 18), a season 34 days longer.
When it snows in Wetumpka, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wetumpka, AL, 6.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36093
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 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 36093 is 16 miles from Milstead, AL, which stands at 215 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36078 (Tallassee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36093 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.