USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 36874 — Salem, Alabama
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mulberry Grove, GA (501 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Salem, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 243 days (NOAA, Mulberry Grove, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 243 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
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Salem
Half of springs at Mulberry Grove, GA see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 99% of the 115 Alabama stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 18 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 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 April 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 243 days in a typical year, longer than at 70% of the 115 Alabama stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 46 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 5, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 43%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 15 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 3 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 25 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 19 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mulberry Grove, 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 36874 →Compare Salem with another place →
Weather by month in Salem
July is the warmest month at Mulberry Grove, GA, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 78% of years and April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,712 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 115 Alabama stations. 40% of them (2,257) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 949.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 35 | 99% | 15 | 68 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 98% | 10 | 91 |
| Mar | 70 | 43 | 78% | 5 | 234 |
| Apr | 76 | 49 | 27% | <1 | 390 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 831 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Sep | 87 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 9% | <1 | 499 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 77% | 4 | 206 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 99% | 12 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mulberry Grove, GA (501 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, Columbus Metro Airport, GA, 15 miles east of Salem, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 5), a first frost 5 days later (November 23), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Salem, Alabama
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Columbus Metro Airport, GA, 15 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 36874
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 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 36874 is 7 miles from Mulberry Grove, GA, which stands at 501 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 36877 (Smiths Station). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 36874 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.