USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38008 — Bolivar, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN (455 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Bolivar, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- October 30
- 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 23
- Last snow
- February 2
- Winters with snow
- 76%
- Snow per year
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bolivar
Half of springs at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 19 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 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 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 75 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 11 days longer, to about April 14, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 25 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bolivar Wtr Wks, 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 38008 →Compare Bolivar with another place →
Weather by month in Bolivar
July is the warmest month at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, averaging 90°F by day and 69°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,758 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 81% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,851) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 907. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in March (5.9") and least in August (3.5"); 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 | 4.3 | 100% | 20 | 27 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 5.0 | 100% | 16 | 41 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 5.9 | 98% | 8 | 134 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 5.6 | 57% | 1 | 312 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.3 | 1% | 0 | 561 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.0 | 54% | 1 | 339 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 4.3 | 98% | 10 | 104 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 5.5 | 100% | 18 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN (455 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, Ames Plantation, TN, 16 miles southwest of Bolivar, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 4 days later (November 3), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Bolivar, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bolivar usually arrives around January 23, and the last of the season around February 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, 0.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 76% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38008
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 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 38008 is under a mile from Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN, which stands at 455 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38008 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.