USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 36863 — Lanett, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from W Pt, GA (575 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lanett, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 229 days (NOAA, W Pt, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 229 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 Lanett
Half of springs at W Pt, GA see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 15 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 229 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 56 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 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 63%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at W Pt, GA, 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 36863 →Compare Lanett with another place →
Weather by month in Lanett
July is the warmest month at W Pt, GA, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 37% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,143 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 115 Alabama stations. 39% of them (2,013) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 922. Precipitation totals 52.6 inches a year, most in December (5.4") and least in October (3.1"); 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 | 32 | 4.9 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 4.7 | 99% | 13 | 59 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 5.3 | 92% | 5 | 176 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.6 | 37% | 1 | 340 |
| May | 82 | 57 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 896 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.1 | 20% | <1 | 399 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.4 | 87% | 6 | 148 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.4 | 99% | 15 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at W Pt, GA (575 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, Lafayette 2W, AL, 13 miles west of Lanett and 165 feet higher, has a last frost 14 days later (April 9), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 30), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Lanett, 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, 2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36863
| 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 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 36863 is 2 miles from W Pt, GA, which stands at 575 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 36854 (Valley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36863 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.