USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36474 — Red Level, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Andalusia 3 W, AL (250 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Red Level, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Andalusia 3 W, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 230 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 Red Level
Half of springs at Andalusia 3 W, AL see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 14 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 58 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 12 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 53%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 6 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Andalusia 3 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 36474 →Compare Red Level with another place →
Weather by month in Red Level
July is the warmest month at Andalusia 3 W, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 82% of years and April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,889 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,413) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 942. Precipitation totals 60.3 inches a year, most in August (6.3") and least in October (3.4"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 35 | 5.2 | 99% | 16 | 89 |
| Feb | 65 | 38 | 4.6 | 96% | 12 | 118 |
| Mar | 72 | 44 | 5.0 | 82% | 7 | 267 |
| Apr | 78 | 50 | 4.9 | 32% | 1 | 420 |
| May | 84 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 780 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 3.4 | 20% | 1 | 498 |
| Nov | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 87% | 8 | 208 |
| Dec | 63 | 37 | 5.5 | 98% | 14 | 114 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Andalusia 3 W, AL (250 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, 15 miles southeast of Red Level, has a last frost 25 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 19 days later (November 28), a season 44 days longer.
When it snows in Red Level, 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, 9.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36474
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 36474 is 9 miles from Andalusia 3 W, AL, which stands at 250 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 36420 (Andalusia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36474 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.