USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38261 — Union City, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Union City, TN (350 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Union City, 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 29, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Union City, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 208 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
- December 31
- Last snow
- February 19
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 5.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Union City
Half of springs at Union City, 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 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 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 29 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 230 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 86 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 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 24 and February 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Union 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 38261 →Compare Union City with another place →
Weather by month in Union City
July is the warmest month at Union City, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°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 59% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,461 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,730) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 883. Precipitation totals 53.8 inches a year, most in May (5.6") and least in August (3.3"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 4.0 | 100% | 22 | 16 |
| Feb | 49 | 30 | 4.6 | 100% | 18 | 24 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 5.2 | 99% | 11 | 98 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.2 | 59% | 2 | 269 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 62% | 2 | 298 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 4.4 | 99% | 12 | 85 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 5.2 | 100% | 20 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Union City, TN (350 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, Samburg Wr, TN, 13 miles west of Union City, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days later (November 1), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Union City, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Union City usually arrives around December 31, and the last of the season around February 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Union City, TN, 3.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38261
| 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 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 38261 is 3 miles from Union City, TN, which stands at 350 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38261 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.