USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37049 — Cross Plains, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from White House, TN (820 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Cross Plains, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, White House, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 206 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
- January 8
- Last snow
- February 20
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 5.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cross Plains
Half of springs at White House, TN see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% of the 144 Tennessee 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 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 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 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 82 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 19, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 16 and February 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at White House, 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 37049 →Compare Cross Plains with another place →
Weather by month in Cross Plains
July is the warmest month at White House, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°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 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,459 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 49% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,695) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 100% | 22 | 22 |
| Feb | 50 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 107 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 70% | 2 | 279 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4% | <1 | 525 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 59% | 1 | 316 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 99% | 10 | 87 |
| Dec | 49 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at White House, TN (820 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, Portland Sewage Plt, TN, 9 miles east of Cross Plains, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 2 days later (November 1), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Cross Plains, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cross Plains usually arrives around January 8, and the last of the season around February 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Springfield Exp Stn, TN, 10.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37049
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 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 37049 is 7 miles from White House, TN, which stands at 820 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 37188 (White House). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37049 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.