USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 38506 — Cookeville, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cookeville, TN (1,090 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Cookeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Cookeville, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 14
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 195 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 7
- Last snow
- February 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 6.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cookeville
Half of springs at Cookeville, TN see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 29, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 30 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 175 one year in ten. On average 97 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 25, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 22 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cookeville, 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 38506 →Compare Cookeville with another place →
Weather by month in Cookeville
July is the warmest month at Cookeville, TN, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 27°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 85% of years and May still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,159 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,546) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 828. Precipitation totals 60.3 inches a year, most in December (6.1") and least in October (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 | 47 | 27 | 5.3 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 5.5 | 100% | 19 | 25 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 5.5 | 99% | 14 | 91 |
| Apr | 70 | 43 | 5.4 | 85% | 4 | 236 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 5.2 | 10% | <1 | 479 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 590 |
| Oct | 72 | 45 | 3.4 | 71% | 3 | 288 |
| Nov | 60 | 35 | 4.3 | 99% | 14 | 84 |
| Dec | 51 | 30 | 6.1 | 100% | 20 | 32 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cookeville, TN (1,090 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, Monterey, TN, 11 miles east of Cookeville and 770 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 5 days later (October 30), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Cookeville, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cookeville usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cookeville, TN, 5.4 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 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38506
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 3 – February 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 38506 is 5 miles from Cookeville, TN, which stands at 1,090 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 38501 (Cookeville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38506 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.