USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37303 — Athens, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Athens, TN (940 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Athens, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Athens, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 208 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 1
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 3.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Athens
Half of springs at Athens, TN see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 24 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 67% 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 20 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 10, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 85 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 14 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 31 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Athens, 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 37303 →Compare Athens with another place →
Weather by month in Athens
July is the warmest month at Athens, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,495 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,694) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 866. Precipitation totals 60.4 inches a year, most in December (5.9") and least in October (3.6"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 5.6 | 100% | 21 | 22 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 5.1 | 100% | 17 | 30 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 5.5 | 98% | 11 | 113 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 5.5 | 68% | 3 | 276 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.6 | 3% | 0 | 522 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 866 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 3.6 | 51% | 2 | 325 |
| Nov | 61 | 36 | 4.9 | 99% | 13 | 89 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 5.9 | 100% | 19 | 33 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Athens, TN (940 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, Decatur 7NE, TN, 14 miles north of Athens and 190 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (April 10), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 27), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Athens, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Athens usually arrives around January 17, and the last of the season around February 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Athens, TN, 2.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 64 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37303
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 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 37303 is 2 miles from Athens, TN, which stands at 940 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37303 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.