U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00013775 · Alabama

Frost Dates for Heflin, AL

NOAA weather station Heflin (USC00013775), Alabama · elevation 1000 ft (305 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 22only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season206 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Heflin, ALSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 6 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 19 in 1 year out of 10, before October 31 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 6First frost ~Oct 31Frost season at Heflin, ALSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 6 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 19 in 1 year out of 10, before October 31 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 6First frost ~Oct 31
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 22October 19
50% (typical)April 6October 31
90% (likely)March 20November 12
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
206 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 4 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (1 day later). Frost-free season 211 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 at Heflin: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 22, 20% April 17, 30% April 13, 40% April 9, 50% April 6, 60% April 3, 70% March 31, 80% March 27, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 29, 2025 March 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 22Apr 6Mar 202021: April 222022: April 102023: March 212024: March 292025: March 22Fall at Heflin: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 19, 20% October 23, 30% October 25, 40% October 29, 50% October 31, 60% November 2, 70% November 5, 80% November 8, 90% November 12. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 19Oct 31Nov 122021: November 72022: October 192023: November 12024: October 172025: November 1
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 22November 7
2022April 10October 19
2023March 21November 1
2024March 29October 17
2025March 22November 1
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 19 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Heflin, because there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 22, when the chance of a light frost later than that date is also 10 %.

April 6 is the 50 % date for light frost in spring, indicating a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, while October 31 is the 50 % date for fall, indicating a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. Gardeners can use these median dates to gauge the midpoint of frost risk during the growing season.

Hard frost at 28 °F, reflected by the median dates March 25 in spring and November 9 in fall, matters more than a light frost because the colder temperature can cause more severe damage to plants.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 22" 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 19" 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 Heflin, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Anniston, AL — 15 mi; 2 — Carrollton, GA — 31 mi; 3 — Talladega, AL — 34 mi; 4 — Cedartown, GA — 36 mi; 5 — Sylacauga, AL — 46 mi.ALGA25 mi · 40 km1. near Anniston, AL — 15 mi12. Carrollton, GA — 31 mi23. Talladega, AL — 34 mi34. Cedartown, GA — 36 mi45. Sylacauga, AL — 46 mi5
  1. near Anniston, AL 15 mi (24 km)
  2. Carrollton, GA 31 mi (49 km)
  3. Talladega, AL 34 mi (55 km)
  4. Cedartown, GA 36 mi (58 km)
  5. Sylacauga, AL 46 mi (74 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: 33.6436, -85.6092.