USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36502 — Atmore, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Atmore, AL (300 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Atmore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 270 days (NOAA, Atmore, AL).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 27
- Growing season
- 270 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
- 11%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Atmore
Half of springs at Atmore, 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 21. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 21 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 88% 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 27 in half of years, as early as November 8 one year in ten, and holds off past December 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 10, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 270 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 305 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 30 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 16 days longer, to about March 16, and return around November 14. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 82% of winters and 16°F in 16%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 24°F82% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F47% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 24 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F82% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F47% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F16% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Atmore, 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 36502 →Compare Atmore with another place →
Weather by month in Atmore
July is the warmest month at Atmore, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°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 6,718 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (2,830) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,014. Precipitation totals 63.6 inches a year, most in July (6.9") and least in October (3.6"); 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 | 39 | 6.0 | 96% | 10 | 123 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 4.8 | 82% | 6 | 167 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 5.4 | 48% | 2 | 340 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 506 |
| May | 86 | 64 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 1014 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 1001 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 3.6 | 1% | <1 | 581 |
| Nov | 70 | 47 | 4.6 | 56% | 3 | 281 |
| Dec | 63 | 42 | 5.4 | 87% | 8 | 162 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Atmore, AL (300 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, Bay Minette, AL, 22 miles southwest of Atmore, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (November 25), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Atmore, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Atmore, AL, 7.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36502
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 36502 is 7 miles from Atmore, AL, which stands at 300 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 36502 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.