Greenly Garden

Frost dates and when to plant in Alabama

United States

In Alabama the last spring frost comes between 24 January (Mobile) and 20 March (Huntsville) — the median of 2016–2025 in 4 cities. The first autumn frost comes between 14 November (Huntsville) and 15 December (Mobile). The frost-free season lasts 239–325 days. Tomato: plant out into open ground 31 January – 25 August, earliest in Mobile, latest in Mobile.

Frost dates by city in Alabama

CityLast spring frostFirst autumn frostFrost-free daysClimate zoneTomato: window
Mobile24 January15 December325270 frost-free days or more31 January – 25 August
Montgomery1 March29 November273270 frost-free days or more8 March – 9 August
Birmingham (United States)10 March26 November261210–269 frost-free days17 March – 6 August
Huntsville20 March14 November239210–269 frost-free days5 April – 25 July

Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.

When to plant in Alabama: windows by crop

The earliest start and the latest end among the cities here, each with its city; every city’s own window is on its page. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

CropPlanting out or sowing
Tomato31 January (Mobile) – 25 August (Mobile)
Cucumber24 February (Mobile) – 30 September (Mobile)
Bell Pepper, Eggplant24 February (Mobile) – 25 August (Mobile)
Zucchini24 February (Mobile) – 28 September (Mobile)
Pumpkin24 February (Mobile) – 20 August (Mobile)
Watermelon24 February (Mobile) – 5 September (Mobile)
Peas3 January (Mobile) – 2 October (Mobile)
GarlicAutumn planting: 15 October (Huntsville) – end of December (Birmingham (United States))
Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, HyacinthAutumn planting: by 27 October (Birmingham (United States))

Weather by month in Alabama

Across the 4 cities the warmest month is July (average days 30.6 … 33.6 °C) and the coldest January (average nights 0.2 … 6.8 °C). No city here averages below 0 °C at night in any month.

MonthDay, °CNight, °CRain, mm
January9.2 … 15.9 °C0.2 … 6.8 °C134
February13.4 … 19.4 °C3.4 … 10.4 °C132
March16.9 … 22 °C6.3 … 13 °C139
April20.6 … 24.9 °C9.4 … 15.3 °C121
May25.3 … 29.3 °C14.6 … 19.7 °C123
June29.1 … 31.8 °C18.6 … 23.1 °C121
July30.6 … 33.6 °C20.8 … 24.5 °C115
August29.9 … 33.1 °C20.1 … 24.4 °C118
September27.8 … 31.3 °C17.6 … 22.2 °C87
October22.5 … 27.1 °C11.9 … 17.5 °C86
November15.9 … 21.6 °C5.8 … 12 °C76
December11.6 … 18 °C2.7 … 9.3 °C129

Day and night: the lowest … highest monthly average among the cities; rain: the middle city (ERA5 via Open-Meteo).

What to plant month by month: the South

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