USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 38570 — Livingston, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Livingston Radio Wliv, TN (975 ft), under a mile west.
Updated
In Livingston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 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, Livingston Radio Wliv, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- 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 24
- Last snow
- February 11
- Winters with snow
- 67%
- Snow per year
- 2.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Livingston
Half of springs at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 28, 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 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 67% 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 6 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 15, 15 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 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 90 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 14 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 18 and February 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Livingston Radio Wliv, 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 38570 →Compare Livingston with another place →
Weather by month in Livingston
July is the warmest month at Livingston Radio Wliv, 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 May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,178 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,564) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 825. Precipitation totals 53.6 inches a year, most in December (5.5") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 27 | 4.7 | 100% | 21 | 22 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.7 | 100% | 18 | 29 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 5.0 | 99% | 12 | 96 |
| Apr | 70 | 44 | 4.8 | 80% | 3 | 249 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 4.7 | 9% | <1 | 479 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 797 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 2.9 | 72% | 3 | 285 |
| Nov | 60 | 36 | 3.7 | 100% | 13 | 85 |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 5.5 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN (975 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, 16 miles south of Livingston and 885 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 5 days later (October 30), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Livingston, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Livingston usually arrives around January 24, and the last of the season around February 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Livingston Radio Wliv, TN, 0.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 67% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 60 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38570
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 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 38570 is under a mile from Livingston Radio Wliv, TN, which stands at 975 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38570 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.