USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 37880 — Ten Mile, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Decatur 7NE, TN (750 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Ten Mile, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 199 days (NOAA, Decatur 7NE, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 199 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
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ten Mile
Half of springs at Decatur 7NE, TN see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 28 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 27 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 199 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 one year in ten. On average 99 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 24, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 24 and February 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Decatur 7NE, 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 37880 →Compare Ten Mile with another place →
Weather by month in Ten Mile
July is the warmest month at Decatur 7NE, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,386 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,632) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 869. Precipitation totals 57.6 inches a year, most in December (5.7") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 5.6 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 5.2 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Mar | 62 | 36 | 5.3 | 98% | 14 | 94 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 5.4 | 75% | 4 | 254 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 4.6 | 6% | <1 | 510 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 869 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Oct | 73 | 46 | 3.2 | 67% | 4 | 306 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 4.7 | 99% | 16 | 69 |
| Dec | 51 | 30 | 5.7 | 100% | 20 | 27 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Decatur 7NE, TN (750 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, Spring City, TN, 10 miles west of Ten Mile, has a last frost 1 day later (April 11), a first frost 2 days later (October 29), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Ten Mile, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ten Mile 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 Decatur 7NE, TN, 3.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 65 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 37880
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 37880 is 3 miles from Decatur 7NE, TN, which stands at 750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 37874 (Sweetwater). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 37880 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.