USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38317 — Bruceton, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Camden, TN (423 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Bruceton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Camden, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 214 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 20
- Last snow
- February 9
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bruceton
Half of springs at Camden, TN see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 17 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 November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 214 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 193 one year in ten. On average 80 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 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Camden, 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 38317 →Compare Bruceton with another place →
Weather by month in Bruceton
July is the warmest month at Camden, TN, averaging 90°F by day and 70°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 56% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,857 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,890) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 51.6 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in September (3.4"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 4.1 | 100% | 22 | 26 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 4.4 | 100% | 17 | 45 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 4.5 | 98% | 10 | 138 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 4.4 | 56% | 1 | 322 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 572 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 660 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.1 | 45% | 2 | 346 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.0 | 97% | 10 | 105 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 4.8 | 100% | 19 | 40 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Camden, TN (423 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, Huntingdon Wtp, TN, 10 miles west of Bruceton, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 2), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 31), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Bruceton, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bruceton usually arrives around January 20, and the last of the season around February 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Huntingdon Wtp, TN, 10 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38317
| 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 38317 is 10 miles from Camden, TN, which stands at 423 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 38320 (Camden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38317 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.