USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38343 — Humboldt, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jackson 4 NE, TN (430 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Humboldt, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 21 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 208 days (NOAA, Jackson 4 NE, 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
- January 12
- Last snow
- February 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 4.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Humboldt
Half of springs at Jackson 4 NE, TN see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 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 October 30 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 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 230 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 79 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 97% of winters, usually between December 23 and February 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jackson 4 NE, 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 38343 →Compare Humboldt with another place →
Weather by month in Humboldt
July is the warmest month at Jackson 4 NE, TN, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,765 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,848) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 922. Precipitation totals 55.1 inches a year, most in May (6.0") and least in August (3.5"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 4.3 | 100% | 21 | 26 |
| Feb | 52 | 30 | 4.6 | 100% | 17 | 40 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 5.7 | 98% | 10 | 124 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 63% | 1 | 303 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 6.0 | 1% | 0 | 568 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 649 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.8 | 56% | 2 | 332 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 4.2 | 99% | 11 | 96 |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 5.3 | 100% | 18 | 32 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jackson 4 NE, TN (430 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, Alamo 1 N, TN, 12 miles west of Humboldt, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 5 days later (November 4), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Humboldt, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Humboldt usually arrives around January 12, and the last of the season around February 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Jackson 4 NE, TN, 9.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38343
| 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 38343 is 9 miles from Jackson 4 NE, TN, which stands at 430 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 38305 (Jackson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38343 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.