USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37312 — Cleveland, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN (842 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Cleveland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 206 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cleveland
Half of springs at Cleveland Fltr Plt, 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 21. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 one year in ten. On average 80 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 19, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 13 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cleveland Fltr Plt, 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 37312 →Compare Cleveland with another place →
Weather by month in Cleveland
July is the warmest month at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 29°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 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,636 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,793) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 880. Precipitation totals 57.7 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 29 | 5.2 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 4.9 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.6 | 97% | 10 | 128 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 67% | 2 | 303 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 4.6 | 1% | 0 | 545 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 647 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.5 | 59% | 2 | 333 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 4.9 | 100% | 12 | 91 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN (842 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, Dayton 2SE, TN, 19 miles northwest of Cleveland, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 1 day later (October 31), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Cleveland, Tennessee
Measurable snow is rare here: only 12 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, 4.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 37312
| 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 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 37312 is 4 miles from Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN, which stands at 842 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37312 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.