USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36362 — Fort Rucker, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Enterprise 4 W, AL (337 ft), 12 miles west.
Updated
In Fort Rucker, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 9 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 260 days (NOAA, Enterprise 4 W, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 9
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 260 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Rucker
Half of springs at Enterprise 4 W, AL see their last 32°F night by March 9; only one in ten is past it by February 14, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 22 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 21 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 260 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 290 days one year in ten and falls short of 232 one year in ten. On average 25 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 15 days longer, to about March 24, and return around November 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 29%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 14 |
| 28°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 29 |
| 20°F64% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Enterprise 4 W, 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 36362 →Compare Fort Rucker with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Rucker
July is the warmest month at Enterprise 4 W, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 71°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 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 90% of years and March still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,373 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (2,658) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 966. Precipitation totals 58.0 inches a year, most in July (7.0") and least in October (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 5.5 | 99% | 10 | 109 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 4.7 | 90% | 5 | 149 |
| Mar | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 67% | 2 | 318 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 4.5 | 9% | 0 | 472 |
| May | 86 | 62 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 966 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 811 |
| Oct | 81 | 56 | 3.0 | 2% | 0 | 572 |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 4.4 | 71% | 2 | 273 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 4.8 | 92% | 7 | 138 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Enterprise 4 W, AL (337 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, 15 miles east of Fort Rucker, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 3 days later (November 24), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Fort Rucker, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Enterprise 4 W, AL, 12.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36362
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 29 – January 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 12 – January 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 9 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 36362 is 12 miles from Enterprise 4 W, AL, which stands at 337 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36330 (Enterprise). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36362 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.