USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 36273 — Ranburne, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Heflin, AL (1,000 ft), 16 miles northwest.
Updated
In Ranburne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Heflin, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ranburne
Half of springs at Heflin, AL see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, shorter than at 93% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 226 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 72 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 14 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 26 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Heflin, 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 36273 →Compare Ranburne with another place →
Weather by month in Ranburne
July is the warmest month at Heflin, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 30°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,671 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 90% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,803) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 859. Precipitation totals 57.6 inches a year, most in February (5.9") and least in September (3.3"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 5.6 | 100% | 19 | 32 |
| Feb | 58 | 33 | 5.9 | 100% | 15 | 49 |
| Mar | 66 | 39 | 5.6 | 98% | 9 | 151 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 4.8 | 68% | 2 | 305 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 726 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Oct | 75 | 48 | 3.4 | 51% | 1 | 358 |
| Nov | 64 | 37 | 4.5 | 99% | 11 | 116 |
| Dec | 56 | 33 | 5.4 | 99% | 17 | 48 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Heflin, AL (1,000 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, Carrollton, GA, 17 miles east of Ranburne, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 5 days later (November 5), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Ranburne, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Heflin, AL, 16 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36273
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 36273 is 16 miles from Heflin, AL, which stands at 1,000 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 36265 (Jacksonville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36273 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.