USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 36582 — Theodore, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL (26 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Theodore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 21 in half of years and has passed by March 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 292 days (NOAA, Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL).
- Last spring frost
- February 21
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 292 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Theodore
Half of springs at Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL see their last 32°F night by February 21; only one in ten is past it by January 25, and one in ten still has one after March 15. Planting tender crops after March 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 9 20%, and after March 15 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% 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 December 6 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past January 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 292 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 326 days one year in ten and falls short of 257 one year in ten. On average 15 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 March 6, and return around November 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 59% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 32°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 28°F89% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 23 |
| 20°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 28°F89% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
| 24°F59% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mobile Dwtn Airport, 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 36582 →Compare Theodore with another place →
Weather by month in Theodore
August is the warmest month at Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL, averaging 92°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 43°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 75% of years and March still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,192 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 115 Alabama stations. 42% of them (3,017) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,042. Precipitation totals 60.6 inches a year, most in August (7.1") and least in February (3.8"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 43 | 5.2 | 89% | 7 | 156 |
| Feb | 66 | 46 | 3.8 | 75% | 3 | 199 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 5.1 | 34% | 1 | 373 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 946 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 1039 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 1042 |
| Sep | 89 | 72 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Oct | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 35% | 1 | 332 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.3 | 73% | 4 | 198 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL (26 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, Coden, AL, 11 miles south of Theodore, has a last frost 20 days later (March 13), a first frost 12 days earlier (November 24), a season 37 days shorter.
When it snows in Theodore, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coden, AL, 10.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36582
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 13 – December 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 27 – January 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 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 36582 is 9 miles from Mobile Dwtn Airport, AL, which stands at 26 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36605 (Mobile). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36582 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.