When to plant in Highland Lakes, AL

Planting dates worked out from Highland Lakes's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 69 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMar 25about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 111 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlyNov 11 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalNov 12about half of years have had frost
LateNov 239 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 228 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Birmingham Ap · 20.5 km away · station 188 m, town 245 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 14 – Feb 28	Apr 11 – Apr 25	Jun 5
Sweet pepper	Jan 31 – Feb 14	Apr 11 – Apr 25	Jun 10
Lettuce (leaf)	Jan 21 – Jan 28	Feb 25 – Mar 11	Apr 6
Peas	—	Feb 11 – Mar 11	Apr 7
Bush beans	—	Apr 4 – Apr 25	May 24
Carrot	—	Mar 4 – Apr 15	May 3
Beet	—	Feb 25 – Apr 8	Apr 16
Potato	—	Mar 4 – Mar 25	May 13
Kale	Jan 14 – Jan 28	Feb 25 – Mar 11	Apr 9
Broccoli	Jan 14 – Jan 28	Feb 25 – Mar 18	Apr 26
Cucumber	Mar 14 – Mar 21	Apr 11 – Apr 25	May 31
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 14 – Mar 21	Apr 11 – Apr 25	May 26
Winter squash	Mar 14 – Mar 21	Apr 11 – Apr 25	Jun 30
Sweet corn	—	Apr 4 – Apr 25	Jun 3
Onion (from sets)	—	Feb 25 – Mar 18	May 26
Garlic	—	Oct 29 – Nov 26 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Feb 11 – Mar 11	Mar 21
Basil	Feb 28 – Mar 14	Apr 11 – Apr 25	Jun 7

Plan all 65 crops for Highland Lakes

Highland Lakes's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Last spring frost
1930	Mar 9
1931	Mar 17
1932	Mar 15
1933	Mar 21
1934	Mar 20
1935	Mar 13
1936	Apr 3
1937	Mar 29
1938	Apr 10
1939	Mar 19
1940	Apr 13
1941	Mar 18
1942	Mar 3
1943	Mar 8
1944	Apr 5
1945	Feb 3
1946	Mar 11
1947	Mar 29
1948	Mar 29
1949	Mar 20
1950	Apr 16
1951	Mar 22
1952	Apr 7
1953	Apr 21
1954	Mar 17
1955	Mar 30
1956	Mar 25
1957	Mar 10
1958	Apr 8
1959	Apr 14
1960	Apr 10
1961	Mar 10
1962	Apr 16
1963	Mar 22
1964	Mar 31
1965	Mar 22
1966	Apr 10
1967	Mar 18
1968	Mar 25
1969	Mar 31
1970	Apr 3
1971	Apr 8
1972	Apr 5
1973	Apr 11
1974	Mar 22
1975	Apr 6
1976	Feb 23
1977	Mar 23
1978	Mar 28
1979	Mar 26
1980	Mar 22
1981	Mar 25
1982	Apr 7
1983	Apr 21
1984	Apr 5
1985	Apr 2
1986	Apr 23
1987	Apr 6
1988	Mar 17
1989	Apr 12
1990	Apr 8
1991	Mar 31
1992	Apr 5
1993	Apr 22
1994	Apr 1
1995	Mar 10
1996	Apr 10
1997	Apr 18
1998	Mar 22
1999	Mar 27
2000	Apr 9
2001	Mar 27
2002	Mar 23
2003	Mar 31
2004	Mar 22
2005	Mar 9
2006	Mar 26
2007	Apr 8
2008	Mar 25
2009	Apr 8
2010	Mar 7
2011	Feb 13
2012	Feb 25
2013	Mar 28
2014	Apr 16
2015	Mar 8
2016	Feb 27
2017	Mar 16
2018	Apr 8
2019	Apr 1
2020	Mar 7
2021	Apr 2
2022	Mar 13
2023	Mar 21
2024	Mar 19

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1930	235
1931	288
1932	241
1933	233
1934	236
1935	253
1936	226
1937	207
1938	212
1939	230
1940	214
1941	235
1942	237
1943	246
1944	238
1945	291
1946	247
1947	224
1948	202
1949	227
1950	208
1951	224
1952	204
1953	191
1954	226
1955	214
1956	228
1957	229
1958	232
1959	205
1960	210
1961	243
1962	192
1963	224
1964	202
1965	215
1966	205
1967	230
1968	214
1969	217
1970	213
1971	212
1972	225
1973	212
1974	235
1975	221
1976	247
1977	232
1978	247
1979	233
1980	241
1981	231
1982	201
1983	204
1984	220
1985	217
1986	203
1987	197
1988	255
1989	191
1990	200
1991	216
1992	216
1993	191
1994	235
1995	238
1996	206
1997	210
1998	228
1999	220
2000	218
2001	213
2002	243
2003	227
2004	254
2005	252
2006	238
2007	212
2008	217
2009	232
2010	243
2011	270
2012	260
2013	228
2014	199
2015	258
2016	265
2017	247
2018	215
2019	213
2020	267
2021	234
2022	219
2023	224
2024	254

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1930	24.4 °C
1931	23.9 °C
1932	24.0 °C
1933	24.4 °C
1934	23.9 °C
1935	24.1 °C
1936	24.5 °C
1937	23.9 °C
1938	23.9 °C
1939	23.5 °C
1940	22.8 °C
1941	24.5 °C
1942	23.6 °C
1943	24.5 °C
1944	23.9 °C
1945	24.1 °C
1946	22.5 °C
1947	23.1 °C
1948	23.6 °C
1949	23.0 °C
1950	22.6 °C
1951	23.6 °C
1952	23.7 °C
1953	23.9 °C
1954	24.6 °C
1955	23.9 °C
1956	23.3 °C
1957	23.8 °C
1958	23.7 °C
1959	23.9 °C
1960	23.7 °C
1961	22.5 °C
1962	24.8 °C
1963	23.5 °C
1964	23.6 °C
1965	23.1 °C
1966	22.3 °C
1967	22.0 °C
1968	22.9 °C
1969	22.8 °C
1970	23.8 °C
1971	22.4 °C
1972	22.5 °C
1973	22.5 °C
1974	22.3 °C
1975	22.7 °C
1976	21.8 °C
1977	24.7 °C
1978	23.6 °C
1979	22.8 °C
1980	24.3 °C
1981	23.8 °C
1982	23.1 °C
1983	22.2 °C
1984	22.2 °C
1985	22.8 °C
1986	23.8 °C
1987	23.5 °C
1988	23.2 °C
1989	22.5 °C
1990	23.6 °C
1991	24.2 °C
1992	22.3 °C
1993	23.4 °C
1994	22.9 °C
1995	24.3 °C
1996	23.0 °C
1997	22.2 °C
1998	24.4 °C
1999	24.3 °C
2000	23.9 °C
2001	23.0 °C
2002	24.1 °C
2003	23.2 °C
2004	23.2 °C
2005	23.5 °C
2006	24.7 °C
2007	24.7 °C
2008	23.9 °C
2009	23.4 °C
2010	25.6 °C
2011	24.7 °C
2012	24.3 °C
2013	23.2 °C
2014	23.9 °C
2015	24.4 °C
2016	25.1 °C
2017	24.1 °C
2018	24.8 °C
2019	25.3 °C
2020	23.7 °C
2021	23.5 °C
2022	24.6 °C
2023	24.4 °C
2024	25.1 °C

What this means for you: Since 1930, Highland Lakes's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Birmingham Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Meadowbrook Lake Purdy Brook Highland Shoal Creek Chelsea Cahaba Heights