USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36104 — Montgomery, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Montgomery Airport, AL (202 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Montgomery, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 244 days (NOAA, Montgomery Airport, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 244 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 Montgomery
Half of springs at Montgomery Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 244 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 220 one year in ten. On average 37 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 29, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 41%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Montgomery Airport, 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 36104 →Compare Montgomery with another place →
Weather by month in Montgomery
July is the warmest month at Montgomery Airport, AL, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,413 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,660) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,020. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in March (5.2") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 4.6 | 100% | 13 | 97 |
| Feb | 65 | 40 | 4.9 | 93% | 7 | 144 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 5.2 | 75% | 2 | 306 |
| Apr | 79 | 53 | 4.0 | 10% | <1 | 473 |
| May | 86 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Jun | 92 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 1020 |
| Aug | 94 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 2.9 | 10% | <1 | 540 |
| Nov | 70 | 43 | 3.9 | 88% | 5 | 230 |
| Dec | 62 | 39 | 5.0 | 98% | 10 | 122 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Montgomery Airport, AL (202 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, 10 miles southeast of Montgomery, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 4), a first frost 5 days later (November 18), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Montgomery, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wetumpka, AL, 17.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36104
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 36104 is 8 miles from Montgomery Airport, AL, which stands at 202 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 36067 (Prattville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36104 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.