USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36701 — Selma, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Selma, AL (147 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Selma, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Selma, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 254 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Selma
Half of springs at Selma, AL see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 15, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 22 20%, and after March 28 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 230 one year in ten. On average 40 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 17 days longer, to about March 25, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 30%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F66% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 |
| 16°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 24 |
| 20°F66% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Selma, 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 36701 →Compare Selma with another place →
Weather by month in Selma
July is the warmest month at Selma, AL, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,268 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 115 Alabama stations. 41% of them (2,563) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,007. Precipitation totals 54.7 inches a year, most in February (5.4") and least in October (2.7"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 5.1 | 99% | 14 | 86 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 5.4 | 93% | 8 | 123 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 5.4 | 66% | 2 | 284 |
| Apr | 78 | 52 | 4.6 | 5% | 0 | 454 |
| May | 85 | 61 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 1000 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 2.7 | 5% | 0 | 540 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 4.1 | 75% | 4 | 220 |
| Dec | 61 | 38 | 5.2 | 97% | 12 | 109 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Selma, AL (147 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, Selma 6 SSE, AL, 7 miles southeast of Selma, has a last frost 13 days later (March 21), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 7), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Selma, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Selma, AL, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36701
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 36701 is 2 miles from Selma, AL, which stands at 147 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 36701 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.