USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37185 — Waverly, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waverly Airport, TN (749 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Waverly, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, Waverly Airport, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 218 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 21
- Last snow
- February 4
- Winters with snow
- 82%
- Snow per year
- 4.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waverly
Half of springs at Waverly Airport, TN see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 21 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 November 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, longer than at 87% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 75 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 15, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 25 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waverly Airport, 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 37185 →Compare Waverly with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Waverly
In Waverly, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 21 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 22, 184 days later; that gap is longer than at 76% of the 144 Tennessee stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 39 days (March 13 to April 21) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 29 days (October 22 to November 20): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Camden, TN, 15 miles west, the same gap runs from April 17 to October 19, 1 day longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 19 | 81% | 48% |
| Mar 26 | 68% | 34% |
| Apr 250% date | 50% | 18% |
| Apr 9 | 28% | under 10% |
| Apr 16 | 17% | under 10% |
| Apr 23 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Waverly
July is the warmest month at Waverly Airport, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 69°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,628 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 67% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,776) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 869.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
| Feb | 51 | 32 | 100% | 16 | 35 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 96% | 8 | 139 |
| Apr | 71 | 49 | 52% | 2 | 314 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 2% | <1 | 536 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 869 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 857 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 32% | 1 | 352 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 97% | 8 | 109 |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waverly Airport, TN (749 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, Camden, TN, 15 miles west of Waverly and 326 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (April 3), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 1), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Waverly, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Waverly usually arrives around January 21, and the last of the season around February 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Big Sandy, TN, 18.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 82% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 57 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37185
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 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 37185 is 5 miles from Waverly Airport, TN, which stands at 749 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37185 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.