USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 36861 — Jacksons Gap, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Alexander City, AL (640 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Jacksons Gap, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Alexander City, AL).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 227 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jacksons Gap
Half of springs at Alexander City, AL see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 64% 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 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 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, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 59 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 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 68%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Alexander City, 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 36861 →Compare Jacksons Gap with another place →
Weather by month in Jacksons Gap
July is the warmest month at Alexander City, AL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,363 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,121) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 944. Precipitation totals 57.0 inches a year, most in January (5.7") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 5.7 | 100% | 18 | 50 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 5.5 | 99% | 13 | 72 |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 5.6 | 90% | 6 | 202 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.6 | 32% | 1 | 362 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 726 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 2.9 | 20% | <1 | 431 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.4 | 92% | 7 | 159 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.5 | 99% | 15 | 70 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Alexander City, AL (640 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, Camp Hill 2NW, AL, 11 miles east of Jacksons Gap, has a last frost 16 days later (April 11), a first frost 12 days earlier (October 27), a season 26 days shorter.
When it snows in Jacksons Gap, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Alexander City, AL, 8.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36861
| 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 36861 is 8 miles from Alexander City, AL, which stands at 640 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 35010 (Alexander City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36861 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.