USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38363 — Parsons, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Parsons Wtp, TN (410 ft), 4 miles south.
Updated
In Parsons, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Parsons Wtp, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- 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
- 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 Parsons
Half of springs at Parsons Wtp, TN see their last 32°F night by April 5; 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 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 78% 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 16 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 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 12 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 232 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 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 11 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 27 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Parsons Wtp, 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 38363 →Compare Parsons with another place →
Weather by month in Parsons
July is the warmest month at Parsons Wtp, TN, averaging 91°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,892 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 39% of them (1,901) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 928. Precipitation totals 57.1 inches a year, most in March (5.6") and least in June (4.0"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 28 | 4.4 | 100% | 22 | 31 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 5.0 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 5.6 | 97% | 10 | 138 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 5.3 | 64% | 2 | 320 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Aug | 91 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 896 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 4.2 | 57% | 2 | 353 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 4.1 | 99% | 13 | 104 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 5.5 | 100% | 20 | 39 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Parsons Wtp, TN (410 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, Decaturville, TN, 5 miles south of Parsons, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 4), a first frost 1 day later (October 30).
When it snows in Parsons, 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, 16.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 38363
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 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 38363 is 4 miles from Parsons Wtp, TN, which stands at 410 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38363 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.