U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00017207 · Alabama

Frost Dates near Crossville, AL

NOAA weather station Sand Mount Substn (USC00017207), Alabama · elevation 1190 ft (363 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

Crossville is the nearest town to the station (1.5 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 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 3150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season217 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Crossville, ALSpring: a frost after March 14 in 9 years out of 10, after March 31 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 22 in 1 year out of 10, before November 3 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 217 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 31First frost ~Nov 3Frost season near Crossville, ALSpring: a frost after March 14 in 9 years out of 10, after March 31 in half of the years, after April 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 22 in 1 year out of 10, before November 3 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 217 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 31First frost ~Nov 3
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 16October 22
50% (typical)March 31November 3
90% (likely)March 14November 18
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
217 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 17
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 14

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 1 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 3. Frost-free season 218 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 Crossville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 16, 20% April 11, 30% April 7, 40% April 3, 50% March 31, 60% March 28, 70% March 24, 80% March 19, 90% March 14. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 March 21, 2023 March 21, 2025 March 22, 2026 March 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1May 1Apr 16Mar 31Mar 142021: April 242022: March 212023: March 212025: March 222026: March 19Fall near Crossville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 22, 20% October 26, 30% October 30, 40% November 1, 50% November 3, 60% November 6, 70% November 9, 80% November 13, 90% November 18. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2022 October 20, 2024 October 18, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 22Nov 3Nov 182021: November 142022: October 202024: October 182025: 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 24November 14
2022March 21October 20
2023March 21incomplete record
2024incomplete recordOctober 18
2025March 22November 10
2026March 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date, March 14, carries a 90% chance of a light frost later, making it a gamble for the Crossville area. The 50% date, March 31, is the point at which the odds of a light frost later are even, while the hard-frost median, March 17, marks when a 28°F freeze is equally likely. A prudent spring plan waits for the cautious date of April 16, when only a 10% chance of a later light frost remains.

In the autumn, the cautious date to finish tender-crop harvest is October 22, because there is just a 10% chance that a light frost has already occurred. The 50% fall date, November 3, splits the odds of a light frost earlier, and the hard-frost median, November 14, shows when a 28°F freeze becomes equally likely. Hard frosts matter more than light frosts because a 28°F event can harm plants that would survive a 32°F chill.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 16" 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 22" 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 Crossville, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Scottsboro, AL — 27 mi; 2 — Valley Head, AL — 28 mi; 3 — Cedartown, GA — 45 mi; 4 — near Anniston, AL — 49 mi; 5 — Heflin, AL — 49 mi.ALGA25 mi · 40 km1. Scottsboro, AL — 27 mi12. Valley Head, AL — 28 mi23. Cedartown, GA — 45 mi34. near Anniston, AL — 49 mi45. Heflin, AL — 49 mi5
  1. Scottsboro, AL 27 mi (44 km)
  2. Valley Head, AL 28 mi (46 km)
  3. Cedartown, GA 45 mi (72 km)
  4. near Anniston, AL 49 mi (79 km)
  5. Heflin, AL 49 mi (79 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: 34.2878, -85.9681.