USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38229 — Gleason, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dresden, TN (450 ft), 7 miles northwest.
Updated
In Gleason, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 212 days (NOAA, Dresden, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 212 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gleason
Half of springs at Dresden, TN see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 20 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 November 1 in half of years, as early as October 21 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, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 212 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 234 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 82 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 15, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 22 and February 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dresden, 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 38229 →Compare Gleason with another place →
Weather by month in Gleason
July is the warmest month at Dresden, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 27°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 4,589 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,750) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 891. Precipitation totals 53.6 inches a year, most in May (5.9") and least in August (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 | 46 | 27 | 3.9 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
| Feb | 50 | 30 | 4.8 | 100% | 18 | 30 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 4.8 | 98% | 10 | 113 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.1 | 57% | 2 | 289 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 541 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 760 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 45% | 2 | 321 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.3 | 98% | 9 | 101 |
| Dec | 49 | 31 | 5.0 | 100% | 20 | 25 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dresden, TN (450 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, Martin U Of T Branch E, TN, 17 miles northwest of Gleason, has a last frost 1 day later (April 4), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 28), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Gleason, Tennessee
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dresden, TN, 7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38229
| 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 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 38229 is 7 miles from Dresden, TN, which stands at 450 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 38225 (Dresden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38229 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.