USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37355 — Manchester, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manchester #2, TN (1,070 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Manchester, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 192 days (NOAA, Manchester #2, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- October 24
- 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 13
- Last snow
- February 12
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Manchester
Half of springs at Manchester #2, TN see their last 32°F night by April 13; only one in ten is past it by March 27, 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 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 34% of the 144 Tennessee stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 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 1; 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 94 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 26, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 11 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manchester #2, 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 37355 →Compare Manchester with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Manchester
In Manchester, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 30 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 11, 164 days later; that gap is shorter than at 76% of the 144 Tennessee stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 34 days (March 27 to April 30) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 11 to November 5): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Wartrace 6E, TN, 9 miles west, the same gap runs from April 18 to October 20, 21 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 30 | 85% | 57% |
| Apr 6 | 70% | 33% |
| Apr 1350% date | 50% | 17% |
| Apr 20 | 33% | under 10% |
| Apr 27 | 16% | under 10% |
| May 4 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Manchester
July is the warmest month at Manchester #2, TN, averaging 86°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,959 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 83% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,477) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 801. Precipitation totals 59.5 inches a year, most in December (6.6") and least in October (3.5"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 5.4 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 5.5 | 100% | 19 | 24 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 6.4 | 99% | 12 | 87 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 5.9 | 81% | 3 | 226 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 4.3 | 8% | <1 | 453 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Oct | 71 | 44 | 3.5 | 77% | 3 | 267 |
| Nov | 59 | 34 | 4.0 | 100% | 14 | 68 |
| Dec | 51 | 30 | 6.6 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manchester #2, TN (1,070 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, Wartrace 6E, TN, 9 miles west of Manchester, has a last frost 12 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 9 days later (November 2), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Manchester, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Manchester usually arrives around January 13, and the last of the season around February 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tullahoma, TN, 12.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37355
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 2 – February 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 37355 is 1 mile from Manchester #2, TN, which stands at 1,070 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 37355 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.