U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00018469 · Alabama

Frost Dates for Valley Head, AL

NOAA weather station Valley Head (USC00018469), Alabama · elevation 1121 ft (342 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season202 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Valley Head, ALSpring: a frost after March 22 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Oct 29Frost season at Valley Head, ALSpring: a frost after March 22 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Oct 29
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 24October 17
50% (typical)April 8October 29
90% (likely)March 22November 11
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
202 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 8

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (2 days later). Frost-free season 206 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 Valley Head: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 24, 20% April 19, 30% April 15, 40% April 12, 50% April 8, 60% April 5, 70% April 2, 80% March 29, 90% March 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 20, 2023 March 30, 2025 April 16, 2026 March 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 24Apr 8Mar 222021: April 222022: April 202023: March 302025: April 162026: March 19Fall at Valley Head: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 17, 20% October 21, 30% October 24, 40% October 27, 50% October 29, 60% November 1, 70% November 3, 80% November 6, 90% November 11. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 9, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 31.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 17Oct 29Nov 112022: October 92023: October 312024: October 162025: October 31
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 22incomplete record
2022April 20October 9
2023March 30October 31
2024incomplete recordOctober 16
2025April 16October 31
2026March 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 17 marks the cautious fall date in Valley Head for finishing the harvest, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived. In spring, the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 24, which carries a 10 % chance of a frost later than that day; the earlier April 8 date is the 50 % median, meaning frost is equally likely to occur later than that date. The fall cautious date is October 17, while the 50 % median for fall light frost is October 29, indicating an even chance of frost earlier than that day. The median hard-frost dates are March 28 in spring and November 8 in fall, showing when a 28 °F frost is as likely as not. A hard frost matters more than a light frost because it reaches a lower temperature that can damage a wider range of plants.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 24" 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 17" 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 Valley Head, ALNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Chickamauga, GA — 26 mi; 2 — Scottsboro, AL — 26 mi; 3 — near Crossville, AL — 28 mi; 4 — near Chattanooga, TN — 39 mi; 5 — Cedartown, GA — 41 mi.ALGATN25 mi · 40 km1. Chickamauga, GA — 26 mi12. Scottsboro, AL — 26 mi23. near Crossville, AL — 28 mi34. near Chattanooga, TN — 39 mi45. Cedartown, GA — 41 mi5
  1. Chickamauga, GA 26 mi (41 km)
  2. Scottsboro, AL 26 mi (43 km)
  3. near Crossville, AL 28 mi (46 km)
  4. near Chattanooga, TN 39 mi (63 km)
  5. Cedartown, GA 41 mi (66 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: 34.5686, -85.6064.