Frost dates for Birmingham, Alabama
In Birmingham, half of springs have had their last frost by March 21 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 8), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 11, leaving about 236 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Birmingham, Alabama
Last spring frost
March 21
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 8: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 11
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 30.
Growing season
236 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 211.
Hardiness zone
8a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 10°F to 15°F. On the 2012 map it was 7b, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 15 in 8a and 5 in 8b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Birmingham Airport (4 miles away, at 620 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 21 and a typical first frost of November 11. NOAA's Pinson (15 miles away, at 610 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of April 4 and a typical first frost of November 1. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from March 21 to April 4 and the typical first frost from November 1 to 11, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Birmingham
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | February 28 | March 21 | April 8 |
| First frost in fall | October 30 | November 11 | December 1 |
The frost-free season between them runs 236 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 262 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 211 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 7 and first on November 24. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 3 and first on November 2. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Birmingham comes between February 28 and April 8, a window of 39 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Alabama's 117 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 50 percent have their typical last frost later than Birmingham does.
Planting calendar for Birmingham
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 3 to 31 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 17 to February 14 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 31 to February 21 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 7 to 21 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 14 to 28 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 21 to March 7 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 21 to March 7 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 7 to 21 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 7 to 21 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 21 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 4 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 4 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 16 to 30 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 4 |
| July | ||
| July 6 to 20 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 24 |
| August | ||
| August 15 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 19 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 20 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 24 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 25 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 29 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 8 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 28 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 30 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December | ||
| December 1 to 8 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 18 days later. That plans around April 8, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Birmingham Airport (station USW00013876), 4 miles from the center of Birmingham. It sits at about the same elevation, 620 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Trussville, Mountain Brook, Gardendale, Center Point, Moody and Irondale.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 38 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 35005, 35036, 35060, 35062, 35068, 35073, 35094, 35117, 35119, 35147, 35176, 35181, 35203, 35204, 35205, 35206, 35207, 35208, 35209, 35210, 35211, 35212, 35213, 35214, 35216, 35217, 35218, 35222, 35223, 35224, 35229, 35233, 35234, 35235, 35242, 35243, 35249, 35254. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama: last frost around March 18, first frost around November 10 (45 miles away)
- Huntsville, Alabama: last frost around March 24, first frost around November 8 (80 miles away)
- Montgomery, Alabama: last frost around March 13, first frost around November 13 (85 miles away)
See frost dates across Alabama, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.