USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 36567 — Robertsdale, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Robertsdale, AL (161 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Robertsdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 264 days (NOAA, Robertsdale, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 264 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Robertsdale
Half of springs at Robertsdale, AL see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 26. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 26 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 23 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 264 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 298 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 28 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 21, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 88% of winters and 16°F in 19%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F55% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
| 24°F88% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F55% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Robertsdale, 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 36567 →Compare Robertsdale with another place →
Weather by month in Robertsdale
July is the warmest month at Robertsdale, AL, averaging 90°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 April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 90% of years and March still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,365 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (2,657) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 961. Precipitation totals 69.0 inches a year, most in July (9.1") and least in October (4.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 5.5 | 98% | 10 | 126 |
| Feb | 65 | 42 | 4.5 | 90% | 6 | 160 |
| Mar | 71 | 48 | 5.5 | 60% | 2 | 317 |
| Apr | 77 | 54 | 5.6 | 3% | 0 | 466 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Jun | 88 | 70 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 9.1 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Oct | 79 | 57 | 4.2 | 3% | 0 | 553 |
| Nov | 70 | 47 | 4.8 | 65% | 3 | 274 |
| Dec | 63 | 41 | 5.0 | 89% | 7 | 164 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Robertsdale, AL (161 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 3 NE, AL, 14 miles west of Robertsdale, has a last frost 10 days later (March 15), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 19), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Robertsdale, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Robertsdale, AL, 3.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36567
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 36567 is 4 miles from Robertsdale, AL, which stands at 161 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 36535 (Foley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36567 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.