USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36756 — Marion, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greensboro, AL (249 ft), 14 miles west.
Updated
In Marion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 240 days (NOAA, Greensboro, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 240 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
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marion
Half of springs at Greensboro, AL see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 6 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 55% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 12 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 26, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 240 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 267 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 39 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 15 days longer, to about April 2, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 50%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 24 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greensboro, 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 36756 →Compare Marion with another place →
Weather by month in Marion
July is the warmest month at Greensboro, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 82% of years and April still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,676 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,288) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 949. Precipitation totals 54.9 inches a year, most in February (5.6") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 5.1 | 100% | 13 | 69 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 5.6 | 97% | 7 | 98 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 5.3 | 82% | 3 | 236 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 5.3 | 20% | <1 | 400 |
| May | 81 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 649 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 757 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 3.3 | 13% | <1 | 474 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.6 | 87% | 5 | 183 |
| Dec | 58 | 38 | 5.1 | 99% | 11 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greensboro, AL (249 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, Centreville 6 SW, AL, 15 miles northeast of Marion and 201 feet higher, has a last frost 15 days later (April 2), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 2), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Marion, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Greensboro, AL, 13.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36756
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 36756 is 14 miles from Greensboro, AL, which stands at 249 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36756 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.