U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00400876 · Tennessee

Frost Dates for Bolivar, TN

NOAA weather station Bolivar Water Works (USC00400876), Tennessee · elevation 455 ft (139 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 19only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season210 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Bolivar, TNSpring: a frost after March 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 210 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Oct 30Frost season at Bolivar, TNSpring: a frost after March 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 210 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Oct 30
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 19October 17
50% (typical)April 3October 30
90% (likely)March 17November 13
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
210 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 21
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 2 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (2 days later). Frost-free season 213 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 Bolivar: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 19, 20% April 13, 30% April 9, 40% April 6, 50% April 3, 60% March 31, 70% March 28, 80% March 23, 90% March 17. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2023 March 21, 2024 March 20, 2025 March 22, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 19Apr 3Mar 172023: March 212024: March 202025: March 222026: March 18Fall at Bolivar: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 17, 20% October 22, 30% October 25, 40% October 28, 50% October 30, 60% November 1, 70% November 4, 80% November 7, 90% November 13. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 18, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 3.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 17Oct 30Nov 132022: October 182023: October 312024: October 172025: November 3
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
2021incomplete recordincomplete record
2022incomplete recordOctober 18
2023March 21October 31
2024March 20October 17
2025March 22November 3
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 19 is the cautious light-frost date for spring in Bolivar; it lets a gardener set out tender crops with only a 10 % chance of a later frost. The earlier April 3 date marks the 50 % point for light frost, meaning an even chance of frost on either side, while March 17 carries a 90 % chance of frost after it, making very early planting a gamble.

The 50 % light-frost dates—April 3 in spring and October 30 in fall—show the median day when frost is equally likely to have occurred or not; they are not frost dates. The hard-frost 50 % dates are March 21 for spring and November 9 for fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F because it reaches a lower temperature.

For a cautious fall schedule, October 17 serves as the light-frost date with only a 10 % chance that frost has already arrived, allowing a gardener to finish harvesting tender crops. The hard-frost dates matter more because they represent a colder threshold that can cause greater injury to plant tissue.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 19" 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 17" 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 Bolivar, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Ames Plantation, TN — 16 mi; 2 — Selmer, TN — 23 mi; 3 — Jackson (McKellar Airport), TN — 23 mi; 4 — near Jackson, TN — 26 mi; 5 — Brownsville, TN — 27 mi.TNMSARALMO25 mi · 40 km1. Ames Plantation, TN — 16 mi12. Selmer, TN — 23 mi23. Jackson (McKellar Airport), TN — 23 mi34. near Jackson, TN — 26 mi45. Brownsville, TN — 27 mi5
  1. Ames Plantation, TN 16 mi (26 km)
  2. Selmer, TN 23 mi (37 km)
  3. Jackson (McKellar Airport), TN 23 mi (37 km)
  4. near Jackson, TN 26 mi (42 km)
  5. Brownsville, TN 27 mi (44 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: 35.2622, -88.9892.