U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00401957 · Tennessee

Frost Dates for Columbia, TN

NOAA weather station Columbia 3 WNW (USC00401957), Tennessee · elevation 650 ft (198 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 26only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season199 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Columbia, TNSpring: a frost after March 26 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Oct 27Frost season at Columbia, TNSpring: a frost after March 26 in 9 years out of 10, after April 10 in half of the years, after April 26 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 199 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 10First frost ~Oct 27
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 26October 16
50% (typical)April 10October 27
90% (likely)March 26November 7
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
199 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 8 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 28 (1 day later). Frost-free season 201 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 Columbia: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 26, 20% April 21, 30% April 17, 40% April 14, 50% April 10, 60% April 7, 70% April 4, 80% March 31, 90% March 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2024 April 7, 2025 April 9, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 26Apr 10Mar 262021: April 232024: April 72025: April 92026: March 17Fall at Columbia: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 19, 30% October 22, 40% October 24, 50% October 27, 60% October 29, 70% November 1, 80% November 3, 90% November 7. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 30, 2024 November 22, 2025 November 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Oct 27Nov 72021: November 32022: October 92023: October 302024: November 222025: November 9
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 23November 3
2022incomplete recordOctober 9
2023incomplete recordOctober 30
2024April 7November 22
2025April 9November 9
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 26 is the cautious spring date in Columbia, where only a 10% chance of a light frost remains, allowing a gardener to set out tender crops with minimal risk.

The 50% light-frost dates are April 10 in spring and October 27 in fall; each marks the point at which there is an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). The median hard-frost dates are March 29 for spring and November 5 for fall, and hard frosts are more damaging because the temperature drops to 28°F, a level that can kill plants that survive a light frost.

October 16 is the cautious fall date, with only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived, giving a gardener the confidence to finish harvesting tender crops before frost becomes likely.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 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 October 16" 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 Columbia, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Lewisburg, TN — 22 mi; 2 — Pulaski, TN — 31 mi; 3 — Kingston Springs, TN — 32 mi; 4 — Dickson, TN — 35 mi; 5 — near Shelbyville, TN — 36 mi.AL25 mi · 40 km1. Lewisburg, TN — 22 mi12. Pulaski, TN — 31 mi23. Kingston Springs, TN — 32 mi34. Dickson, TN — 35 mi45. near Shelbyville, TN — 36 mi5
  1. Lewisburg, TN 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Pulaski, TN 31 mi (51 km)
  3. Kingston Springs, TN 32 mi (52 km)
  4. Dickson, TN 35 mi (56 km)
  5. near Shelbyville, TN 36 mi (57 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: 35.6381, -87.0864.