USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37772 — Lenoir City, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lenoir City, TN (785 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Lenoir City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Lenoir City, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 210 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 4
- Winters with snow
- 62%
- Snow per year
- 4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lenoir City
Half of springs at Lenoir City, TN see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 19, 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 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 November 1 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 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 18, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lenoir City, 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 37772 →Compare Lenoir City with another place →
Weather by month in Lenoir City
July is the warmest month at Lenoir City, TN, averaging 89°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,556 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,710) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 885. Precipitation totals 55.2 inches a year, most in December (5.9") and least in October (3.0"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 5.0 | 100% | 21 | 17 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 5.2 | 100% | 16 | 25 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 5.1 | 99% | 9 | 110 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.2 | 64% | 1 | 278 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.3 | 2% | 0 | 531 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.0 | 43% | 1 | 332 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 10 | 89 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 5.9 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lenoir City, TN (785 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, Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport, TN, 14 miles east of Lenoir City and 177 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 1 day later (November 2), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Lenoir City, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lenoir City usually arrives around January 17, and the last of the season around February 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lenoir City, TN, 1.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 62% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37772
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 37772 is 2 miles from Lenoir City, TN, which stands at 785 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37934 (Knoxville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37772 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.