USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36442 — Florala, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Florala Municipal Airport, AL (314 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Florala, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 4 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 26, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 265 days (NOAA, Florala Municipal Airport, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 4
- First fall frost
- November 26
- Growing season
- 265 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
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Florala
Half of springs at Florala Municipal Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by March 4; only one in ten is past it by February 6, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 16 20%, and after March 22 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 26 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 265 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 299 days one year in ten and falls short of 239 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 15 days longer, to about March 19, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 81% of winters and 16°F in 8%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 25 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 19 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Florala Municipal 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 36442 →Compare Florala with another place →
Weather by month in Florala
July is the warmest month at Florala Municipal Airport, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 41°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 85% of years and March still brings one in 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,728 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 115 Alabama stations. 43% of them (2,862) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 41 | 95% | 8 | 150 |
| Feb | 66 | 43 | 85% | 6 | 183 |
| Mar | 73 | 49 | 58% | 2 | 350 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 511 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 764 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 993 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 1% | 0 | 569 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 58% | 2 | 285 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 85% | 4 | 171 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Florala Municipal Airport, AL (314 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, Andalusia Opp Airport, AL, 19 miles north of Florala, has a last frost 4 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 2 days later (November 28), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Florala, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Andalusia 3 W, AL, 21.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36442
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 24 – January 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 26 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 36442 is 2 miles from Florala Municipal Airport, AL, which stands at 314 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32567 (Laurel Hill). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36442 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.