USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 38368 — ZIP 38368
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lexington, TN (540 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In ZIP 38368, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 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, Lexington, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- 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 31
- Last snow
- February 8
- Winters with snow
- 54%
- Snow per year
- 1.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in ZIP 38368
Half of springs at Lexington, 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 21. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date measure how much the end of the frost season moves from year to year.
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 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year; it reaches 230 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 77 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 17, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 27 and February 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lexington, 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 38368 →Compare ZIP 38368 with another place →
Weather by month in ZIP 38368
July is the warmest month at Lexington, TN, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 27°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 4,667 growing degree days a year (base 50°F). 38% of them (1,787) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 893. Precipitation totals 54.9 inches a year, most in May (6.1") and least in August (3.4"); 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 | 27 | 4.5 | 100% | 21 | 22 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 4.7 | 100% | 16 | 38 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 4.7 | 98% | 9 | 120 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.2 | 63% | 2 | 294 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 765 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 4.2 | 54% | 2 | 333 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 4.2 | 99% | 10 | 99 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 5.4 | 100% | 17 | 32 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lexington, TN (540 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, 15 miles northeast of ZIP 38368, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 4), the same first-frost date.
When it snows in ZIP 38368
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in ZIP 38368 usually arrives around January 31, and the last of the season around February 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lexington, TN, 10.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 54% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38368
| 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 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 38368 is 10 miles from Lexington, TN, which stands at 540 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 38351 (Lexington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38368 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.
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.