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USDA Hardiness Zone 8b

Frost Dates for 36467 — Opp, Alabama

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Andalusia Opp Airport, AL (310 ft), 8 miles west.

Updated

In Opp, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 274 days (NOAA, Andalusia Opp Airport, AL).

Last spring frost
February 28

50% probability

First fall frost
November 28

50% probability

Growing season
274 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
8b

15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night

First snow
Rare

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
Rare

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
6%

1 of 17 observed

Snow per year
0.3"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Opp

Half of springs at Andalusia Opp Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by February 1, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 20 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 28 in half of years, as early as November 8 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 10, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 274 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 310 days one year in ten and falls short of 245 one year in ten. On average 18 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 14, and return around November 16. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 73% of winters and 16°F in 7%.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FFeb 21Feb 28Mar 4Mar 10Mar 14Mar 17Mar 21Mar 26Apr 1
32°FFeb 1Feb 12Feb 19Feb 24Feb 28Mar 4Mar 9Mar 14Mar 20
28°F95% of yrsJan 11Jan 23Jan 31Feb 5Feb 11Feb 18Feb 24Mar 1Mar 10
24°F73% of yrsDec 26Jan 3Jan 15Jan 22Jan 29Feb 2Feb 9Feb 18Feb 28
20°F32% of yrstoo rare for a date
16°F7% of yrstoo rare for a date
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30Dec 6
32°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 16Jan 1
28°F95% of yrsNov 20Nov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 18Dec 28Jan 3Jan 11Jan 21
24°F73% of yrsDec 2Dec 11Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 17Jan 28Feb 7
20°F32% of yrstoo rare for a date
16°F7% of yrstoo rare for a date

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Andalusia Opp 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 36467 →Compare Opp with another place →

Weather by month in Opp

July is the warmest month at Andalusia Opp Airport, AL, averaging 94°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°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 82% of years and March still brings one in 48% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 7,125 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 115 Alabama stations. 43% of them (3,054) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,051.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Andalusia Opp Airport, AL
MonthHigh °FLow °F32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan634191%8164
Feb674482%4206
Mar755048%1384
Apr81560%0550
May88630%0792
Jun92720%0958
Jul94740%01051
Aug93740%01035
Sep90690%0885
Oct81581%0609
Nov724855%1306
Dec644379%4185

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Andalusia Opp Airport, AL (310 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 3 W, AL, 16 miles west of Opp, has a last frost 25 days later (March 25), a first frost 19 days earlier (November 9), a season 44 days shorter.

Frost dates for 36420 (Andalusia) →

When it snows in Opp, Alabama

Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elba, AL, 14.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.

Planting calendar for 36467

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Opp, Alabama
WhenWhat to do
December 20 – January 3Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
January 3 – January 17Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
January 31 – February 14Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
February 28 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by September 5Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by November 14Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
November 28 onwardPlant 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 36467 is 8 miles from Andalusia Opp Airport, AL, which stands at 310 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36467 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.

Frost dates across Alabama →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 8b places in Alabama