U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00016988 · Alabama

Frost Dates for Robertsdale, AL

NOAA weather station Robertsdale (USC00016988), Alabama · elevation 161 ft (49 m) · hardiness zone 9a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter March 26only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season264 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone9acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Robertsdale, ALSpring: a frost after February 12 in 9 years out of 10, after March 5 in half of the years, after March 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 5 in 1 year out of 10, before November 23 in half of the years, before December 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 264 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 5First frost ~Nov 23Frost season at Robertsdale, ALSpring: a frost after February 12 in 9 years out of 10, after March 5 in half of the years, after March 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 5 in 1 year out of 10, before November 23 in half of the years, before December 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 264 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 5First frost ~Nov 23
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)March 26November 5
50% (typical)March 5November 23
90% (likely)February 12December 15
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
264 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
February 21
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
December 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 3 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 20 (3 days earlier). Frost-free season 261 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 Robertsdale: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% March 26, 20% March 19, 30% March 14, 40% March 10, 50% March 5, 60% March 1, 70% February 26, 80% February 20, 90% February 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Feb 1Mar 1Apr 1Mar 26Mar 5Feb 12Fall at Robertsdale: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 5, 20% November 11, 30% November 15, 40% November 19, 50% November 23, 60% November 28, 70% December 1, 80% December 6, 90% December 15.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 5Nov 23Dec 15
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.

What these dates mean

The cautious spring date in Robertsdale is March 26, which carries a 10 % chance of a light frost later and lets a gardener plan to set out tender crops. The median 50 % spring date is March 5 and the median 50 % fall date is November 23; each of these dates represents an even-odds chance of a light frost occurring after or before them, respectively. For a cautious fall schedule the date to finish harvesting tender crops is November 5, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. Hard frost at 28 °F, indicated by the median dates February 21 and December 9, can damage plants more severely than a light frost and therefore represents a more critical temperature threshold. The 28-year record provides a solid basis for these probability estimates.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after March 26" 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 November 5" 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 Robertsdale, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Fairhope, AL — 11 mi; 2 — Bay Minette, AL — 23 mi; 3 — Mobile, AL — 33 mi; 4 — Atmore, AL — 45 mi; 5 — Brewton, AL — 56 mi.FLMS25 mi · 40 km1. Fairhope, AL — 11 mi12. Bay Minette, AL — 23 mi23. Mobile, AL — 33 mi34. Atmore, AL — 45 mi45. Brewton, AL — 56 mi5
  1. Fairhope, AL 11 mi (17 km)
  2. Bay Minette, AL 23 mi (36 km)
  3. Mobile, AL 33 mi (53 km)
  4. Atmore, AL 45 mi (73 km)
  5. Brewton, AL 56 mi (89 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 9a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 30.5653, -87.7017.