USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37385 — Tellico Plains, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tellico Plains, TN (910 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Tellico Plains, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Tellico Plains, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 193 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 16
- Last snow
- January 29
- Winters with snow
- 65%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tellico Plains
Half of springs at Tellico Plains, 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 29. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 29 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% 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 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 87 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 12 days longer, to about April 25, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 23 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tellico Plains, 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 37385 →Compare Tellico Plains with another place →
Weather by month in Tellico Plains
July is the warmest month at Tellico Plains, TN, averaging 90°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,545 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 60% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,780) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 871. Precipitation totals 55.3 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 4.6 | 100% | 21 | 29 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 4.9 | 100% | 17 | 41 |
| Mar | 64 | 37 | 4.9 | 99% | 11 | 131 |
| Apr | 73 | 44 | 4.8 | 81% | 3 | 289 |
| May | 81 | 54 | 4.9 | 6% | <1 | 542 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Jul | 90 | 66 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Aug | 89 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Sep | 84 | 57 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Oct | 74 | 45 | 3.2 | 75% | 4 | 312 |
| Nov | 62 | 35 | 4.8 | 100% | 14 | 84 |
| Dec | 54 | 31 | 5.2 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tellico Plains, TN (910 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, Athens, TN, 18 miles west of Tellico Plains, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 6), a first frost 7 days later (October 31), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Tellico Plains, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tellico Plains usually arrives around January 16, and the last of the season around January 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tellico Plains, TN, 2.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 65% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 74 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37385
| 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 37385 is 2 miles from Tellico Plains, TN, which stands at 910 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37354 (Madisonville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37385 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.