U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013871 · Alabama

Frost Dates near Anniston, AL

NOAA weather station Anniston Metro Airport (USW00013871), Alabama · elevation 594 ft (181 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

Anniston is the nearest town to the station (5.2 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season231 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Anniston, ALSpring: a frost after March 1 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 27 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 231 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 9Frost season near Anniston, ALSpring: a frost after March 1 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 27 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 231 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 9
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 9October 27
50% (typical)March 23November 9
90% (likely)March 1November 25
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
231 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 8
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 21

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 20 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 6 (3 days earlier). Frost-free season 232 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Anniston: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 9, 20% April 4, 30% March 31, 40% March 27, 50% March 23, 60% March 18, 70% March 15, 80% March 10, 90% March 1. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 14, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 19, 2025 March 21, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 9Mar 23Mar 12021: April 32022: March 142023: March 212024: March 192025: March 212026: March 18Fall near Anniston: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 27, 20% November 1, 30% November 3, 40% November 6, 50% November 9, 60% November 11, 70% November 14, 80% November 19, 90% November 25. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2025 November 3.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 27Nov 9Nov 252021: November 72022: October 192023: November 12025: November 3
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 3November 7
2022March 14October 19
2023March 21November 1
2024March 19incomplete record
2025March 21November 3
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

Between the two 32 °F 50% dates—March 23 in spring and November 9 in fall—there are 231 days in the Anniston area, a span that holds the region’s main growing season.

For a gardener, the 50% light-frost dates mark the point where a frost is as likely as not; March 23 and November 9 each carry a 50 % chance of a frost. The 50% hard-frost dates are March 8 and November 21, indicating an even chance of temperatures dropping to 28 °F.

April 9 is the cautious spring date for setting out tender crops, with only a 10 % chance of a later frost, while October 27 is the cautious fall date to finish harvesting tender crops, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plant tissue that can usually survive the milder 32 °F light frost.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 9" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 27" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Anniston, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Heflin, AL — 15 mi; 2 — Talladega, AL — 20 mi; 3 — Sylacauga, AL — 33 mi; 4 — Childersburg, AL — 35 mi; 5 — Carrollton, GA — 45 mi.ALGA25 mi · 40 km1. Heflin, AL — 15 mi12. Talladega, AL — 20 mi23. Sylacauga, AL — 33 mi34. Childersburg, AL — 35 mi45. Carrollton, GA — 45 mi5
  1. Heflin, AL 15 mi (24 km)
  2. Talladega, AL 20 mi (32 km)
  3. Sylacauga, AL 33 mi (54 km)
  4. Childersburg, AL 35 mi (56 km)
  5. Carrollton, GA 45 mi (72 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 33.5872, -85.8556.