USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 36862 — Lafayette, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lafayette 2W, AL (740 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Lafayette, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 204 days (NOAA, Lafayette 2W, AL).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 204 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
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lafayette
Half of springs at Lafayette 2W, AL see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 25 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 204 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 72 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 12 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lafayette 2W, 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 36862 →Compare Lafayette with another place →
Weather by month in Lafayette
July is the warmest month at Lafayette 2W, AL, averaging 90°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 30°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,899 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (1,930) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 890. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in January (5.7") and least in September (3.5"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 30 | 5.7 | 100% | 19 | 44 |
| Feb | 60 | 34 | 5.3 | 100% | 14 | 63 |
| Mar | 68 | 39 | 5.7 | 96% | 9 | 171 |
| Apr | 75 | 46 | 4.8 | 75% | 2 | 320 |
| May | 82 | 55 | 4.4 | 2% | 0 | 574 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 757 |
| Jul | 90 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Oct | 75 | 49 | 3.6 | 56% | 2 | 375 |
| Nov | 65 | 38 | 4.3 | 100% | 10 | 121 |
| Dec | 58 | 33 | 5.6 | 100% | 16 | 58 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lafayette 2W, AL (740 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, W Pt, GA, 14 miles east of Lafayette and 165 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 10 days later (November 9), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Lafayette, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at W Pt, GA, 14.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36862
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 36862 is under a mile from Lafayette 2W, AL, which stands at 740 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36862 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.