U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00003847 · Tennessee

Frost Dates for Crossville, TN

NOAA weather station Crossville Memorial Airport (USW00003847), Tennessee · elevation 1867 ft (569 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 5only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season189 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Crossville, TNSpring: a frost after March 30 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 12 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Crossville, TNSpring: a frost after March 30 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 12 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 23
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 5October 12
50% (typical)April 16October 23
90% (likely)March 30November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
189 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 2
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 16 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (2 days later). Frost-free season 193 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 Crossville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 5, 20% April 30, 30% April 24, 40% April 20, 50% April 16, 60% April 12, 70% April 8, 80% April 4, 90% March 30. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 10, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 9, 2026 March 28.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 5Apr 16Mar 302021: April 222022: April 102023: April 242024: April 222025: April 92026: March 28Fall at Crossville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 12, 20% October 15, 30% October 18, 40% October 21, 50% October 23, 60% October 26, 70% October 28, 80% October 31, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 12Oct 23Nov 42021: November 32022: October 92023: October 312024: 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 3
2022April 10October 9
2023April 24October 31
2024April 22October 17
2025April 9November 1
2026March 28season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 189 days between the 50% dates in Crossville—April 16 and October 23—frame the period when light frosts are equally likely to have occurred or not, giving gardeners a window for most outdoor activities.

The 50% date is April 16 in spring and October 23 in fall; there is a 50 % chance of a light frost later than the spring date and a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier than the fall date. The median hard-frost dates are April 2 in spring and November 1 in fall; these mark the point where a temperature of 28 °F is equally likely to have been reached.

For a cautious plan, tender crops are typically set out after May 5, which carries a 10 % chance of a later frost, and are finished by October 12, which carries a 10 % chance of an earlier frost. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue that survives a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more critical threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 5" 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 12" 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 Crossville, TNNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Crossville Ed & Research, TN — 5 mi; 2 — near Sparta, TN — 22 mi; 3 — Pikeville, TN — 25 mi; 4 — Cookeville, TN — 26 mi; 5 — Dayton, TN — 33 mi.NCGA25 mi · 40 km1. Crossville Ed & Research, TN — 5 mi12. near Sparta, TN — 22 mi23. Pikeville, TN — 25 mi34. Cookeville, TN — 26 mi45. Dayton, TN — 33 mi5
  1. Crossville Ed & Research, TN 5 mi (8 km)
  2. near Sparta, TN 22 mi (36 km)
  3. Pikeville, TN 25 mi (40 km)
  4. Cookeville, TN 26 mi (42 km)
  5. Dayton, TN 33 mi (54 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 35.9508, -85.0814.