USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 36350 — Midland City, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dothan Regional Airport, AL (370 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Midland City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 270 days (NOAA, Dothan Regional Airport, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 270 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 Midland City
Half of springs at Dothan Regional Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 3, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 21 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 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 270 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 303 days one year in ten and falls short of 240 one year in ten. On average 21 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 March 15, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 81% of winters and 16°F in 11%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 24 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dothan Regional 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 36350 →Compare Midland City with another place →
Weather by month in Midland City
July is the warmest month at Dothan Regional Airport, AL, averaging 93°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 84% of years and March still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,792 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 115 Alabama stations. 43% of them (2,902) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,023. Precipitation totals 54.0 inches a year, most in August (6.2") and least in October (2.7"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 40 | 4.8 | 94% | 9 | 137 |
| Feb | 66 | 43 | 4.8 | 84% | 4 | 174 |
| Mar | 73 | 49 | 4.7 | 51% | 1 | 348 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 519 |
| May | 87 | 64 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 931 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 1023 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 2.7 | 2% | 0 | 585 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 3.9 | 61% | 2 | 284 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 4.8 | 82% | 5 | 171 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dothan Regional Airport, 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, Headland, AL, 9 miles east of Midland City, has a last frost 4 days later (March 5), the same first-frost date, a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Midland City, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Headland, AL, 9.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36350
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 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 36350 is 2 miles from Dothan Regional Airport, AL, which stands at 370 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36301 (Dothan). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36350 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.