NOAA station USC00408179 · Tennessee
Frost Dates for Sevierville, TN
NOAA weather station Sevierville (USC00408179), Tennessee · elevation 899 ft (274 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 2950% chance of a frost before it
- Frost-free season205 daystypical year, 32°F
- Hardiness zone7bcalculated*
The year at a glance
Frost dates (32°F)
| Chance | Last frost in spring after | First frost in fall before |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (unlikely) | April 21 | October 16 |
| 50% (typical) | April 6 | October 29 |
| 90% (likely) | March 23 | November 11 |
- Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
- 205 days
- Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
- March 27
- Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
- November 7
The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)
Typical last frost April 5 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (3 days later). Frost-free season 209 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
What actually happened in recent years
| Year | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | April 23 | November 7 |
| 2022 | April 11 | October 18 |
| 2023 | March 26 | November 1 |
| 2024 | April 4 | November 24 |
| 2025 | April 9 | November 11 |
| 2026 | March 30 | season not over yet |
What these dates mean
October 16 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Sevierville, marking a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier.
For planning, a cautious spring schedule uses April 21, the date with only a 10% chance of a light frost later, while the 50% light-frost dates—April 6 and October 29—represent the median point where frost is equally likely on either side of the season. The hard-frost 50% dates are March 27 in spring and November 7 in fall, indicating the midpoint of 28 °F events. The 90% gamble dates are March 23 in spring and November 11 in fall, when a light frost is still very likely. The interval between the two 32°F 50% dates—April 6 and October 29—spans 205 days, based on 25 years of record.
A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower temperature can damage plants that survive 32 °F conditions.
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 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
- Gatlinburg, TN 17 mi (27 km)
- near Knoxville, TN 20 mi (32 km)
- Mount Leconte, TN 21 mi (34 km)
- Newport, TN 23 mi (36 km)
- Knoxville (McGhee Tyson Airport), TN 23 mi (37 km)
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00408179
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University — 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS datasets
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 2006–2020 (15-year normals), station USC00408179
- NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network – Daily (GHCN-Daily), observed daily minimum temperature, retrieved 2026-10-08
* 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: 35.9297, -83.5983.