USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 36278 — Wedowee, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ashland 3 ENE, AL (1,022 ft), 16 miles west.
Updated
In Wedowee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Ashland 3 ENE, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 211 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 Wedowee
Half of springs at Ashland 3 ENE, AL see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 234 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 65 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 April 17, and return around October 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ashland 3 ENE, 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 36278 →Compare Wedowee with another place →
Weather by month in Wedowee
July is the warmest month at Ashland 3 ENE, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 31°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,874 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 85% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,906) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 877. Precipitation totals 59.7 inches a year, most in January (6.1") and least in September (3.5"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 | 6.1 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 6.0 | 100% | 13 | 58 |
| Mar | 67 | 40 | 6.0 | 97% | 7 | 172 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 4.7 | 60% | 1 | 327 |
| May | 81 | 55 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 558 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 3.8 | 49% | 2 | 388 |
| Nov | 66 | 38 | 4.9 | 98% | 9 | 135 |
| Dec | 57 | 33 | 5.6 | 100% | 16 | 53 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ashland 3 ENE, AL (1,022 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, Rock Mills, AL, 18 miles southeast of Wedowee and 272 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 2), a first frost 2 days later (November 3), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Wedowee, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Heflin, AL, 21.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36278
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 36278 is 16 miles from Ashland 3 ENE, AL, which stands at 1,022 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36266 (Lineville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36278 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.