U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00405681 · Tennessee

Frost Dates for Martin, TN

NOAA weather station Martin University of T Branch E (USC00405681), Tennessee · elevation 340 ft (104 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 21only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season204 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Martin, TNSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 4 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 204 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 4First frost ~Oct 28Frost season at Martin, TNSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 4 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 15 in 1 year out of 10, before October 28 in half of the years, before November 10 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 204 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 4First frost ~Oct 28
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 21October 15
50% (typical)April 4October 28
90% (likely)March 20November 10
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
204 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 26
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 6

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 4 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 26 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 205 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 Martin: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 21, 20% April 16, 30% April 10, 40% April 7, 50% April 4, 60% April 1, 70% March 30, 80% March 26, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 21Apr 4Mar 202021: April 24Fall at Martin: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 15, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 25, 50% October 28, 60% October 30, 70% November 1, 80% November 5, 90% November 10. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4, 2022 October 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 15Oct 28Nov 102021: November 42022: October 19
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 4
2022incomplete recordOctober 19
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024incomplete recordincomplete record
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

April 21 is the cautious spring date for Martin, Tennessee; there is only a 10 % chance of a light frost after this day, so a gardener can plan to set out tender crops with modest risk.

The median light-frost date, April 4, represents the point where there is a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, while the median hard-frost date, March 26, represents a 50 % chance of a temperature reaching 28 °F. In autumn the median light-frost date is October 28 and the median hard-frost date is November 6, each giving a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than these dates.

October 15 is the cautious fall date, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived, allowing a gardener to finish harvesting tender crops. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost, so its 50 % dates are critical for assessing deeper risk.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 21" 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 15" 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 Martin, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Union City, TN — 10 mi; 2 — Huntingdon, TN — 34 mi; 3 — Murray, KY — 36 mi; 4 — near Jackson, TN — 50 mi; 5 — Paducah, KY — 50 mi.KYMOARIL25 mi · 40 km1. Union City, TN — 10 mi12. Huntingdon, TN — 34 mi23. Murray, KY — 36 mi34. near Jackson, TN — 50 mi45. Paducah, KY — 50 mi5
  1. Union City, TN 10 mi (16 km)
  2. Huntingdon, TN 34 mi (55 km)
  3. Murray, KY 36 mi (58 km)
  4. near Jackson, TN 50 mi (80 km)
  5. Paducah, KY 50 mi (81 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 36.3444, -88.8636.