U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00401808 · Tennessee

Frost Dates for Cleveland, TN

NOAA weather station Cleveland Filter Plant (USC00401808), Tennessee · elevation 842 ft (257 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 21only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season206 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Cleveland, TNSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 6 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 6First frost ~Oct 30Frost season at Cleveland, TNSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 6 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 6First 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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 21October 18
50% (typical)April 6October 30
90% (likely)March 20November 11
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
206 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 26
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 8

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (1 day later). Frost-free season 210 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 Cleveland: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 21, 20% April 16, 30% April 12, 40% April 9, 50% April 6, 60% April 3, 70% March 31, 80% March 27, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 29, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 21Apr 6Mar 202021: April 222022: April 102023: March 212024: March 292026: March 29Fall at Cleveland: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 18, 20% October 22, 30% October 24, 40% October 27, 50% October 30, 60% November 1, 70% November 3, 80% November 6, 90% November 11. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 18Oct 30Nov 112021: November 72022: October 192023: November 12024: October 172025: November 1
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 22November 7
2022April 10October 19
2023March 21November 1
2024March 29October 17
2025incomplete recordNovember 1
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 206-day span between the 50% dates of April 6 and October 30 marks the window in which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, giving gardeners a clear season for tender planting and harvesting.

For Cleveland, the 50% dates indicate a 50 % chance of a 32 °F frost on either side of those days; they do not represent a frost threshold but simply the point of even odds. A cautious spring plan would wait until the April 21 date, which carries only a 10 % chance of a later frost, while a cautious fall finish would target October 18, also a 10 % chance of an earlier frost.

A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost because it can damage or kill plants that would otherwise survive the milder 32 °F event.

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 18" 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 Cleveland, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Athens, TN — 19 mi; 2 — Dayton, TN — 21 mi; 3 — near Chattanooga, TN — 27 mi; 4 — Pikeville, TN — 35 mi; 5 — Chickamauga, GA — 39 mi.GAALNC25 mi · 40 km1. Athens, TN — 19 mi12. Dayton, TN — 21 mi23. near Chattanooga, TN — 27 mi34. Pikeville, TN — 35 mi45. Chickamauga, GA — 39 mi5
  1. Athens, TN 19 mi (30 km)
  2. Dayton, TN 21 mi (34 km)
  3. near Chattanooga, TN 27 mi (43 km)
  4. Pikeville, TN 35 mi (56 km)
  5. Chickamauga, GA 39 mi (63 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: 35.2192, -84.7917.