USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36310 — Abbeville, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Gaines 2, GA (210 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Abbeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 256 days (NOAA, Fort Gaines 2, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 256 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
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Abbeville
Half of springs at Fort Gaines 2, GA see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 28 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 21 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 21, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 256 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 230 one year in ten. On average 32 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 March 25, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F62% of yrs | Dec 22 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F62% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Gaines 2, GA, 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 36310 →Compare Abbeville with another place →
Weather by month in Abbeville
July is the warmest month at Fort Gaines 2, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,094 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,451) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 981.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 38 | 99% | 11 | 94 |
| Feb | 62 | 40 | 94% | 8 | 104 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 77% | 2 | 254 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 3% | 0 | 422 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 981 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 958 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Oct | 78 | 56 | 4% | <1 | 531 |
| Nov | 69 | 46 | 68% | 2 | 244 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 96% | 9 | 122 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Gaines 2, GA (210 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, Headland, AL, 18 miles southwest of Abbeville and 160 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 5), a first frost 3 days later (November 24), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Abbeville, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Headland, AL, 18.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36310
| 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 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 36310 is 10 miles from Fort Gaines 2, GA, which stands at 210 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 39823 (Blakely). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36310 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.