USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37138 — Old Hickory, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Old Hickory WFO, TN (590 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Old Hickory, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Old Hickory WFO, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 216 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 25
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 4.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Old Hickory
Half of springs at Old Hickory WFO, TN see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 17 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 November 4 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 69 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 13, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Old Hickory WFO, 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 37138 →Compare Old Hickory with another place →
Weather by month in Old Hickory
July is the warmest month at Old Hickory WFO, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 28°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,558 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,718) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882. Precipitation totals 54.7 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 28 | 4.3 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.7 | 100% | 15 | 28 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 4.9 | 98% | 8 | 110 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.2 | 50% | 1 | 285 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.5 | 32% | 1 | 333 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.0 | 99% | 8 | 98 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 4.8 | 100% | 16 | 30 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Old Hickory WFO, TN (590 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, Old Hickory Dam, TN, 4 miles northwest of Old Hickory, has a last frost 10 days later (April 11), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 29), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Old Hickory, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Old Hickory usually arrives around January 8, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Old Hickory WFO, TN, 3.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37138
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 37138 is 3 miles from Old Hickory WFO, TN, which stands at 590 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 37122 (Mount Juliet). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37138 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.