USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36553 — Mcintosh, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chatom, AL (285 ft), 19 miles northwest.
Updated
In Mcintosh, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 228 days (NOAA, Chatom, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 228 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mcintosh
Half of springs at Chatom, AL see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% 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 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 254 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 51 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 8, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 57%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chatom, 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 36553 →Compare Mcintosh with another place →
Weather by month in Mcintosh
July is the warmest month at Chatom, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 89% of years and April still brings one in 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,782 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,383) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 83 |
| Feb | 64 | 37 | 97% | 11 | 115 |
| Mar | 72 | 43 | 89% | 5 | 260 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 36% | <1 | 414 |
| May | 85 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Jun | 90 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 841 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Oct | 79 | 52 | 25% | <1 | 473 |
| Nov | 69 | 41 | 91% | 7 | 193 |
| Dec | 62 | 36 | 100% | 13 | 95 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chatom, AL (285 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, Jackson, AL, 22 miles northeast of Mcintosh, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 18), a first frost 4 days later (November 12), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Mcintosh, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Chatom, AL, 19.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36553
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 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 36553 is 19 miles from Chatom, AL, which stands at 285 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36558 (Millry). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36553 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.