USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 36527 — Spanish Fort, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fairhope 3 NE, AL (95 ft), 10 miles south.
Updated
In Spanish Fort, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 251 days (NOAA, Fairhope 3 NE, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 251 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spanish Fort
Half of springs at Fairhope 3 NE, AL see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 17, and one in ten still has one after April 2. Planting tender crops after March 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 2 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 19 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 251 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 283 days one year in ten and falls short of 221 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 14 days longer, to about March 29, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 6 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 28°F | Jan 27 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 9 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fairhope 3 NE, 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 36527 →Compare Spanish Fort with another place →
Weather by month in Spanish Fort
July is the warmest month at Fairhope 3 NE, AL, averaging 89°F by day and 72°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 May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 89% of years and March still brings one in 72% of years and April still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,191 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,568) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 938.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 97% | 10 | 131 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 89% | 6 | 176 |
| Mar | 70 | 47 | 72% | 3 | 289 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 13% | <1 | 444 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 684 |
| Jun | 87 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 7% | <1 | 540 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 74% | 3 | 256 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 90% | 7 | 173 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fairhope 3 NE, AL (95 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, Fairhope 2 NE, AL, 10 miles south of Spanish Fort, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 10), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 17), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Spanish Fort, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fairhope 2 NE, AL, 9.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36527
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 36527 is 10 miles from Fairhope 3 NE, AL, which stands at 95 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 36526 (Daphne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36527 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.