U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00013251 · Alabama

Frost Dates near Geneva, AL

NOAA weather station Geneva #2 (USC00013251), Alabama · elevation 145 ft (44 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

Geneva is the nearest town to the station (0.6 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season231 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Geneva, ALSpring: a frost after February 27 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 231 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 7Frost season near Geneva, ALSpring: a frost after February 27 in 9 years out of 10, after March 23 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 26 in 1 year out of 10, before November 7 in half of the years, before November 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 231 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 23First frost ~Nov 7
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 7October 26
50% (typical)March 23November 7
90% (likely)February 27November 27
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
231 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 6
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 20

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 17 (6 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 6 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 233 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 near Geneva: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 7, 20% April 3, 30% March 31, 40% March 27, 50% March 23, 60% March 19, 70% March 14, 80% March 6, 90% February 27. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3, 2022 March 15, 2023 March 23, 2024 March 20, 2025 March 22, 2026 March 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 7Mar 23Feb 272021: April 32022: March 152023: March 232024: March 202025: March 222026: March 20Fall near Geneva: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 26, 20% October 31, 30% November 2, 40% November 5, 50% November 7, 60% November 11, 70% November 14, 80% November 19, 90% November 27. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 26Nov 7Nov 272021: November 142022: October 192023: November 22024: November 23
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 3November 14
2022March 15October 19
2023March 23November 2
2024March 20November 23
2025March 22incomplete record
2026March 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on February 27 in the Geneva area carries a 90% chance of a light frost, so it is a gamble for any early-season planting.

The 50% date is March 23, marking an even chance of a light frost later in spring, while the 50% date is November 7 shows an even chance of a light frost earlier in fall. A cautious planting schedule follows the 10% dates—April 7 for spring and October 26 for fall—because only a 10% chance of frost remains after the former and before the latter. The 50% hard-frost dates are March 6 and November 20, giving gardeners a sense of when a 28 °F event becomes as likely as not.

Hard frost matters more than light frost because the lower temperature can cause more severe damage 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 7" 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 26" 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 Geneva, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Chipley, FL — 26 mi; 2 — near Crestview, FL — 43 mi; 3 — Niceville, FL — 51 mi; 4 — Troy, AL — 53 mi; 5 — Greenville, AL — 68 mi.ALFLGA25 mi · 40 km1. Chipley, FL — 26 mi12. near Crestview, FL — 43 mi23. Niceville, FL — 51 mi34. Troy, AL — 53 mi45. Greenville, AL — 68 mi5
  1. Chipley, FL 26 mi (42 km)
  2. near Crestview, FL 43 mi (69 km)
  3. Niceville, FL 51 mi (82 km)
  4. Troy, AL 53 mi (86 km)
  5. Greenville, AL 68 mi (109 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 31.0383, -85.8708.