USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36451 — Grove Hill, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Whatley, AL (170 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Grove Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Whatley, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 231 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
- 18%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Grove Hill
Half of springs at Whatley, AL see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 9 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, shorter than at 49% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 46 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 13 days longer, to about April 4, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 70%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Whatley, 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 36451 →Compare Grove Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Grove Hill
August is the warmest month at Whatley, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,841 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,375) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 947. Precipitation totals 61.4 inches a year, most in December (6.5") and least in September (3.9"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 33 | 5.5 | 100% | 13 | 69 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 5.2 | 98% | 9 | 104 |
| Mar | 71 | 44 | 5.8 | 91% | 4 | 255 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 4.3 | 27% | 1 | 429 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 4.1 | 26% | 1 | 482 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 4.5 | 89% | 6 | 214 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 6.5 | 99% | 13 | 101 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Whatley, AL (170 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, Thomasville, AL, 15 miles north of Grove Hill and 220 feet higher, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 10), a first frost 13 days later (November 21), a season 26 days longer.
When it snows in Grove Hill, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Whatley, AL, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36451
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 36451 is 6 miles from Whatley, AL, which stands at 170 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36451 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.