USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37064 — Franklin, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Franklin Sewage Plt, TN (655 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Franklin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Franklin Sewage Plt, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 210 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 6
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Franklin
Half of springs at Franklin Sewage Plt, TN see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 34% of the 144 Tennessee stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 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 10 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 84 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 16, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 29 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Franklin Sewage Plt, 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 37064 →Compare Franklin with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Franklin
In Franklin, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 20 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 18, 181 days later; that gap is longer than at 69% of the 144 Tennessee stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 34 days (March 17 to April 20) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (October 18 to November 13): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Thompson Stn, TN, 9 miles south, the same gap runs from April 22 to October 20, the same length.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 20 | 84% | 55% |
| Mar 27 | 70% | 38% |
| Apr 350% date | 50% | 18% |
| Apr 10 | 30% | under 10% |
| Apr 17 | 15% | under 10% |
| Apr 24 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Franklin
July is the warmest month at Franklin Sewage Plt, TN, averaging 91°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 29°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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,769 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,806) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 919. Precipitation totals 54.0 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 4.3 | 100% | 21 | 30 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 4.8 | 100% | 17 | 40 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 5.2 | 98% | 11 | 124 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.2 | 58% | 3 | 296 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 541 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Oct | 74 | 47 | 3.5 | 52% | 2 | 342 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 3.8 | 98% | 12 | 107 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 5.2 | 100% | 19 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Franklin Sewage Plt, TN (655 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, Thompson Stn, TN, 9 miles south of Franklin, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (November 1), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Franklin, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Franklin usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Thompson Stn, TN, 9.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37064
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 37064 is 4 miles from Franklin Sewage Plt, TN, which stands at 655 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37064 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.