USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 38585 — Spencer, Tennessee
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN (1,790 ft), 5 miles southeast.
Updated
In Spencer, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 180 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 6
- Last snow
- February 18
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- 4.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Spencer
Half of springs at Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 9 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 144 Tennessee stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 100 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 May 3, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fall Creek Falls Sp, 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 38585 →Compare Spencer with another place →
Weather by month in Spencer
July is the warmest month at Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,583 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 144 Tennessee stations. 37% of them (1,318) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 727.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 100% | 19 | 21 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 100% | 13 | 73 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 93% | 5 | 207 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 24% | 1 | 408 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 701 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 4% | <1 | 512 |
| Oct | 71 | 43 | 86% | 5 | 246 |
| Nov | 59 | 33 | 100% | 14 | 58 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN (1,790 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, Pikeville, TN, 14 miles southeast of Spencer and 926 feet lower, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 6 days later (October 25), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Spencer, Tennessee
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Spencer usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around February 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pikeville, TN, 14 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 62 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 38585
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 38585 is 5 miles from Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN, which stands at 1,790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 38585 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.