USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38329 — Decaturville, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Decaturville, TN (495 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Decaturville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 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 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Decaturville, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 30
- 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 43%
- Snow per year
- 2.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Decaturville
Half of springs at Decaturville, TN see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 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 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 10 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 229 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 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 16, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 20 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Decaturville, 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 38329 →Compare Decaturville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Parsons Wtp, TN, 4 miles north of Decaturville, has a last frost 1 day later (April 5), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 29).
When it snows in Decaturville, Tennessee
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Linden Wtp, TN, 16.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38329
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 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 38329 is 3 miles from Decaturville, TN, which stands at 495 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38329 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.