USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 36312 — Ashford, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Headland, AL (370 ft), 14 miles northwest.
Updated
In Ashford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 264 days (NOAA, Headland, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 264 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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 Ashford
Half of springs at Headland, AL see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 9, and one in ten still has one after March 25. Planting tender crops after March 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 25 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 24 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 264 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 297 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 33 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 21, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 23%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Headland, 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 36312 →Compare Ashford with another place →
Weather by month in Ashford
July is the warmest month at Headland, AL, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°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 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,512 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (2,750) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 998. Precipitation totals 56.9 inches a year, most in July (6.7") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 96% | 11 | 114 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 5.2 | 90% | 6 | 149 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 4.8 | 59% | 2 | 326 |
| Apr | 79 | 54 | 4.6 | 4% | <1 | 489 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 966 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 3.2 | 3% | <1 | 557 |
| Nov | 70 | 47 | 3.9 | 63% | 4 | 276 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 5.1 | 91% | 9 | 146 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Headland, AL (370 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, Dothan Regional Airport, AL, 16 miles northwest of Ashford, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 1), the same first-frost date, a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Ashford, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Headland, AL, 13.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36312
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 36312 is 14 miles from Headland, AL, which stands at 370 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 36345 (Headland). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36312 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.