USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 38583 — Sparta, Tennessee

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN (905 ft), 3 miles southwest.

Updated October 28, 2026

In Sparta, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN).

Last spring frost: April 15
First fall frost: October 23
Growing season: 191 days
Hardiness zone: 7b

First snow: January 14
Last snow: February 18
Winters with snow: 86%
Snow per year: 5"

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Frost risk by date in Sparta

Half of springs at Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 83 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 26, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and February 24.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low	90%	80%	70%	60%	50%	40%	30%	20%	10%
36°F	Apr 10	Apr 16	Apr 20	Apr 23	Apr 26	Apr 29	May 2	May 6	May 11
32°F	Mar 31	Apr 5	Apr 8	Apr 12	Apr 15	Apr 18	Apr 21	Apr 25	Apr 30
28°F	Mar 17	Mar 24	Mar 28	Mar 31	Apr 3	Apr 6	Apr 9	Apr 13	Apr 18
24°F	Mar 1	Mar 8	Mar 14	Mar 18	Mar 22	Mar 26	Mar 30	Apr 3	Apr 7
20°F	Feb 12	Feb 23	Feb 28	Mar 3	Mar 8	Mar 12	Mar 17	Mar 21	Mar 27
16°F	Jan 28	Feb 4	Feb 11	Feb 18	Feb 24	Feb 28	Mar 4	Mar 11	Mar 18

Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low	10%	20%	30%	40%	50%	60%	70%	80%	90%
36°F	Oct 5	Oct 8	Oct 11	Oct 13	Oct 15	Oct 18	Oct 20	Oct 23	Oct 27
32°F	Oct 11	Oct 15	Oct 18	Oct 21	Oct 23	Oct 26	Oct 28	Nov 1	Nov 5
28°F	Oct 19	Oct 24	Oct 27	Oct 30	Nov 1	Nov 3	Nov 6	Nov 10	Nov 15
24°F	Oct 28	Nov 2	Nov 6	Nov 9	Nov 13	Nov 15	Nov 18	Nov 23	Nov 29
20°F	Nov 8	Nov 13	Nov 16	Nov 20	Nov 24	Nov 29	Dec 3	Dec 7	Dec 17
16°F	Nov 18	Nov 27	Dec 2	Dec 6	Dec 12	Dec 19	Dec 25	Jan 1	Jan 9

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sparta Wastewater Plant, 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 38583 →Compare Sparta with another place →

Frost risk through the year in Sparta

Frost curve for Sparta, Tennessee (Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN, NOAA 1991–2020): the chance of another 32°F night falls from 90% on March 31 to 50% on April 15 and 10% on April 30; the chance that the first fall one has come rises from 10% on October 11 to 50% on October 23 and 90% on November 5. — In Sparta, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 30 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 11, 164 days later; that gap is shorter than at 76% of the 144 Tennessee stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 30 days (March 31 to April 30) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 11 to November 5): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Cookeville, TN, 12 miles north, the same gap runs from April 30 to October 12, 1 day longer.

Chance of a frost after each planting date in Sparta
Planted on	Another 32°F night	28°F night
Apr 1	88%	57%
Apr 8	70%	33%
Apr 1550% date	50%	16%
Apr 22	28%	under 10%
Apr 29	12%	under 10%
May 6	under 10%	under 10%

Weather by month in Sparta

July is the warmest month at Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°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 87% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,332 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 38% of them (1,641) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 846. Precipitation totals 58.6 inches a year, most in December (6.0") and least in October (3.3"); May to September bring 40% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN
Month	High °F	Low °F	Precip. in	32°F night	Nights ≤ 32°F	GDD 50°F
Jan	47	28	5.1	100%	20	21
Feb	52	30	5.1	100%	16	29
Mar	61	37	5.6	99%	11	105
Apr	70	45	5.3	87%	3	264
May	78	55	5.0	9%	0	504
Jun	85	63	5.5	0%	0	718
Jul	88	67	4.8	0%	0	846
Aug	87	65	4.4	0%	0	815
Sep	82	59	4.0	0%	0	611
Oct	72	46	3.3	80%	3	298
Nov	60	36	4.5	100%	12	88
Dec	51	31	6.0	100%	18	33

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN (905 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, Cookeville, TN, 12 miles north of Sparta and 185 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 14), a first frost 2 days later (October 25), a season 4 days longer.

Frost dates for 38501 (Cookeville) →

When it snows in Sparta, Tennessee

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sparta usually arrives around January 14, and the last of the season around February 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN, 2.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 56 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 38583

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Sparta, Tennessee
When	What to do
February 4 – February 18	Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 18 – March 4	Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 18 – April 1	Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 15 onward	Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 31	Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 9	Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 23 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 38583 is 3 miles from Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN, which stands at 905 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38583 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.