Frost dates for Tuscaloosa, Alabama
In Tuscaloosa, half of springs have had their last frost by March 18 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 4), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 10, leaving about 239 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
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Last spring frost
March 18
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 4: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 10
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 29.
Growing season
239 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 215.
Hardiness zone
8b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 15°F to 20°F. On the 2012 map it was 8a, half a zone colder. All 4 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8b.
Print a year planner for Tuscaloosa
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 26 | March 18 | April 4 |
| First frost in fall | October 29 | November 10 | November 29 |
The frost-free season between them runs 239 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 266 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 215 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 3 and first on November 25. 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 1 and first on November 1. 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 Tuscaloosa comes between February 26 and April 4, a window of 37 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, 63 percent have their typical last frost later than Tuscaloosa does.
Planting calendar for Tuscaloosa
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 14 to February 11 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 28 to February 18 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 4 to 18 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 11 to 25 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 18 to March 4 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 18 to March 4 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 4 to 18 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 4 to 18 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 18 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 1 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 1 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 15 to 29 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 3 |
| July | ||
| July 5 to 19 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 23 |
| August | ||
| August 14 | 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 18 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 19 | 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 23 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 24 | 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 28 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 29 | 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 2 to 9 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
| December 31 to January 28 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 17 days later. That plans around April 4, 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 Northport 2 S (station USW00073801), 4 miles from the center of Tuscaloosa. It sits at about the same elevation, 150 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Northport.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 5 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 35404, 35405, 35453, 35456, 35487. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Birmingham, Alabama: last frost around March 21, first frost around November 11 (45 miles away)
- Montgomery, Alabama: last frost around March 13, first frost around November 13 (95 miles away)
- Huntsville, Alabama: last frost around March 24, first frost around November 8 (110 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.