USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38315 — Bethel Springs, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Selmer, TN (470 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Bethel Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Selmer, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 206 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 28
- Last snow
- February 2
- Winters with snow
- 52%
- Snow per year
- 1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
13 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bethel Springs
Half of springs at Selmer, TN see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 95% 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 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 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 11, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 229 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 74 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 17, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 26 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 20°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Selmer, 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 38315 →Compare Bethel Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Bethel Springs
July is the warmest month at Selmer, TN, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 30°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 69% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,964 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 90% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,950) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 59.2 inches a year, most in March (5.8") and least in August (3.8"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 4.7 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 5.3 | 100% | 15 | 47 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.8 | 98% | 9 | 153 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 5.6 | 69% | 2 | 336 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 4.1 | 54% | 2 | 361 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.4 | 99% | 10 | 118 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 5.7 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Selmer, TN (470 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, Henderson 4 W, TN, 13 miles north of Bethel Springs, has a last frost 4 days later (April 10), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 25), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Bethel Springs, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bethel Springs usually arrives around January 28, and the last of the season around February 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Selmer, TN, 7.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 52% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 63 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38315
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 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 38315 is 7 miles from Selmer, TN, which stands at 470 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 38375 (Selmer). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38315 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.