USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37208 — Nashville, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN (405 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Nashville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 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 213 days (NOAA, Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 213 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
- December 29
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 4.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nashville
Half of springs at Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 78% 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 9 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 213 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 76 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 14, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 23 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | 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 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shelby Bottoms Nature, 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 37208 →Compare Nashville with another place →
Weather by month in Nashville
July is the warmest month at Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,655 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,809) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 887.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 18 |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 100% | 15 | 40 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 98% | 9 | 129 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 52% | 1 | 310 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 2% | 0 | 553 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 887 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 53% | 1 | 327 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 100% | 11 | 94 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 34 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN (405 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, Nashville International Airport, TN, 7 miles southeast of Nashville and 195 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 31), a first frost 3 days later (November 3), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Nashville, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nashville usually arrives around December 29, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Nashville International Airport, TN, 7.4 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 37208
| 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 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 37208 is 4 miles from Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN, which stands at 405 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37207 (Nashville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37208 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.