USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37036 — Charlotte, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Charlotte, TN (694 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Charlotte, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 198 days (NOAA, Charlotte, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 198 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 36%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Charlotte
Half of springs at Charlotte, TN see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 30 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% of the 144 Tennessee stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 198 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 220 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 92 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 14 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and February 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Charlotte, TN, 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 37036 →Compare Charlotte with another place →
Weather by month in Charlotte
July is the warmest month at Charlotte, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 27°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 4,261 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,628) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 835.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 21 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 39 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 99% | 12 | 113 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 75% | 3 | 263 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 10% | <1 | 485 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 581 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 74% | 3 | 297 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 99% | 14 | 82 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Charlotte, TN (694 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, Cheatham L&D, TN, 8 miles northeast of Charlotte and 302 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 9), a first frost 6 days later (November 1), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Charlotte, Tennessee
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clarksville Wwtp, TN, 22.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 37036
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 37036 is 7 miles from Charlotte, TN, which stands at 694 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37036 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Tennessee →
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.