USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37153 — Rockvale, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Christiana 5W, TN (750 ft), 5 miles southeast.
Updated
In Rockvale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Christiana 5W, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 14
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 192 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 17
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rockvale
Half of springs at Christiana 5W, TN see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 192 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 213 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 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 12 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Christiana 5W, 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 37153 →Compare Rockvale with another place →
Weather by month in Rockvale
July is the warmest month at Christiana 5W, TN, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 26°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 88% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,129 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,532) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 815.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 100% | 22 | 18 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 99% | 12 | 94 |
| Apr | 70 | 43 | 88% | 4 | 234 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 9% | <1 | 467 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 815 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Sep | 83 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Oct | 72 | 45 | 76% | 3 | 287 |
| Nov | 60 | 35 | 100% | 13 | 75 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Christiana 5W, TN (750 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, Smyrna 6S, TN, 11 miles north of Rockvale and 200 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 13), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 21), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Rockvale, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Rockvale usually arrives around January 17, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Smyrna 6S, TN, 11 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37153
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 3 – February 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 37153 is 5 miles from Christiana 5W, TN, which stands at 750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37128 (Murfreesboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37153 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.