U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013882 · Tennessee

Frost Dates near Chattanooga, TN

NOAA weather station Chattanooga Lovell Airport (USW00013882), Tennessee · elevation 671 ft (205 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

Chattanooga is the nearest town to the station (6.2 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 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season230 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Chattanooga, TNSpring: a frost after March 6 in 9 years out of 10, after March 24 in half of the years, after April 8 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 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 230 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 24First frost ~Nov 9Frost season near Chattanooga, TNSpring: a frost after March 6 in 9 years out of 10, after March 24 in half of the years, after April 8 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 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 230 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 24First 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.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 8October 27
50% (typical)March 24November 9
90% (likely)March 6November 26
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
230 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 22

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 20 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9. Frost-free season 233 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 Chattanooga: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 8, 20% April 3, 30% March 31, 40% March 28, 50% March 24, 60% March 20, 70% March 16, 80% March 12, 90% March 6. 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 8Mar 24Mar 62021: April 32022: March 142023: March 212024: March 192025: March 212026: March 18Fall near Chattanooga: 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 18, 90% November 26. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2022 October 20, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 29, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 27Nov 9Nov 262021: November 142022: October 202023: November 22024: November 292025: November 10
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 14
2022March 14October 20
2023March 21November 2
2024March 19November 29
2025March 21November 10
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on March 6 carries a 90% chance of a frost later, so it is a gamble for the Chattanooga area. The cautious spring date is April 8, when only a 10% chance of frost remains. The 50% date, March 24, marks even odds of a light frost later, while the 50% hard-frost date is March 11; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F.

In fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 27, with just a 10% chance that a frost has arrived earlier. Waiting until November 26 is a gamble, because a frost earlier than that date has a 90% chance. The 50% light-frost date is November 9, and the 50% hard-frost date is November 22. These dates give gardeners a clear picture of risk across the 27-year record.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 8" 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 Chattanooga, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Chickamauga, GA — 14 mi; 2 — Cleveland, TN — 27 mi; 3 — Dayton, TN — 33 mi; 4 — Monteagle, TN — 39 mi; 5 — Pikeville, TN — 39 mi.GAALNC25 mi · 40 km1. Chickamauga, GA — 14 mi12. Cleveland, TN — 27 mi23. Dayton, TN — 33 mi34. Monteagle, TN — 39 mi45. Pikeville, TN — 39 mi5
  1. Chickamauga, GA 14 mi (22 km)
  2. Cleveland, TN 27 mi (43 km)
  3. Dayton, TN 33 mi (52 km)
  4. Monteagle, TN 39 mi (62 km)
  5. Pikeville, TN 39 mi (63 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: 35.0311, -85.2014.