When to plant in Scottsboro, AL

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 179 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 3about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 191 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

EarlyOct 181 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 29about half of years have had frost
LateNov 149 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 209 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Scottsboro · 1.8 km away · station 188 m, town 196 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 22 – Mar 8	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 13
Sweet pepper	Feb 8 – Feb 22	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 18
Lettuce (leaf)	Jan 30 – Feb 6	Mar 6 – Mar 20	Apr 15
Peas	—	Feb 20 – Mar 20	Apr 16
Bush beans	—	Apr 12 – May 3	Jun 1
Carrot	—	Mar 13 – Apr 24	May 12
Beet	—	Mar 6 – Apr 17	Apr 25
Potato	—	Mar 13 – Apr 3	May 22
Kale	Jan 23 – Feb 6	Mar 6 – Mar 20	Apr 18
Broccoli	Jan 23 – Feb 6	Mar 6 – Mar 27	May 5
Cucumber	Mar 22 – Mar 29	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 8
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 22 – Mar 29	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 3
Winter squash	Mar 22 – Mar 29	Apr 19 – May 3	Jul 8
Sweet corn	—	Apr 12 – May 3	Jun 11
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 6 – Mar 27	Jun 4
Garlic	—	Oct 15 – Nov 12 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Feb 20 – Mar 20	Mar 30
Basil	Mar 8 – Mar 22	Apr 19 – May 3	Jun 15

Plan all 65 crops for Scottsboro

Scottsboro'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
1892	Apr 9
1894	Mar 30
1895	Apr 4
1897	Apr 9
1898	Apr 7
1899	Apr 9
1900	Apr 12
1901	Mar 25
1902	Apr 2
1903	Mar 24
1904	Apr 13
1905	Apr 18
1906	May 10
1907	Apr 15
1908	Apr 4
1909	May 3
1910	Apr 25
1911	Mar 31
1912	Mar 26
1913	Mar 29
1914	Apr 10
1915	Apr 4
1916	Apr 10
1917	Mar 30
1919	Apr 26
1920	Apr 14
1922	Mar 22
1923	Apr 1
1924	Apr 10
1926	Apr 21
1927	Apr 23
1928	Apr 16
1929	Mar 18
1932	Apr 1
1933	Mar 24
1934	Mar 20
1935	Mar 13
1936	Apr 19
1937	Apr 12
1938	Apr 10
1939	Apr 8
1940	Apr 13
1941	Mar 30
1943	Apr 15
1944	Apr 6
1945	Mar 11
1946	Apr 13
1947	Mar 29
1948	Mar 29
1949	Apr 17
1950	Apr 21
1951	Apr 17
1952	Apr 8
1953	Apr 21
1954	Apr 1
1955	Mar 31
1956	Apr 21
1957	Apr 15
1958	Apr 8
1959	Apr 14
1960	Apr 12
1961	Apr 8
1962	Apr 16
1963	Apr 15
1964	Apr 10
1965	Mar 23
1966	Apr 10
1968	Apr 6
1969	Mar 31
1970	Apr 3
1971	May 4
1972	Apr 5
1973	Apr 14
1974	Mar 25
1975	Apr 14
1976	Mar 18
1977	Apr 6
1978	Apr 23
1979	Mar 27
1980	Apr 6
1981	Mar 26
1982	Apr 23
1987	Apr 5
1988	Apr 29
1989	Apr 12
1990	Apr 13
1991	Apr 1
1992	Apr 4
1993	Apr 23
1994	Apr 3
1995	Mar 13
1996	Apr 12
1997	Apr 19
1998	Apr 12
1999	Mar 28
2000	Apr 10
2001	Apr 19
2002	Apr 6
2003	Apr 1
2004	Mar 23
2005	Apr 24
2006	Mar 27
2007	Apr 9
2008	Mar 26
2009	Apr 9
2010	Mar 9
2011	Mar 26
2012	Mar 10
2013	Mar 28
2014	Apr 16
2015	Mar 30
2016	Mar 23
2017	Mar 17
2018	Apr 18
2019	Apr 1
2020	Apr 16
2021	Apr 23
2022	Apr 10
2023	Mar 22
2024	Mar 19
2025	Apr 10
2026	Mar 18

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1895	199
1897	207
1898	197
1899	207
1900	210
1901	223
1902	208
1904	192
1905	186
1906	153
1907	180
1908	204
1909	162
1910	187
1911	216
1912	212
1913	205
1914	200
1915	212
1916	193
1917	196
1919	201
1920	197
1922	230
1923	200
1926	186
1927	209
1928	208
1932	222
1933	228
1934	222
1936	210
1937	194
1938	197
1939	203
1940	209
1941	216
1943	184
1944	204
1945	237
1946	183
1947	223
1948	202
1949	200
1950	197
1951	199
1952	195
1953	191
1954	198
1955	199
1956	202
1957	194
1958	202
1959	206
1960	192
1961	190
1962	190
1964	192
1965	214
1966	206
1968	181
1969	200
1970	213
1971	183
1972	225
1973	205
1974	191
1975	213
1976	216
1977	190
1980	202
1981	207
1988	165
1989	191
1990	196
1991	188
1992	215
1993	187
1994	212
1995	225
1996	190
1997	186
1998	194
1999	209
2000	181
2001	181
2002	221
2003	226
2004	236
2005	184
2006	201
2007	207
2008	215
2009	192
2010	234
2011	209
2012	234
2013	210
2014	199
2015	228
2016	232
2017	226
2018	205
2019	213
2020	199
2021	197
2022	191
2023	224
2024	211
2025	213

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1895	22.3 °C
1896	24.2 °C
1897	22.6 °C
1898	22.3 °C
1899	22.8 °C
1900	22.8 °C
1901	21.1 °C
1902	22.7 °C
1904	21.5 °C
1905	22.5 °C
1906	22.3 °C
1907	20.9 °C
1908	22.2 °C
1909	21.6 °C
1910	21.3 °C
1911	22.7 °C
1912	22.1 °C
1913	22.0 °C
1914	22.3 °C
1915	22.4 °C
1916	21.8 °C
1917	20.9 °C
1919	21.9 °C
1920	21.8 °C
1922	22.3 °C
1923	21.8 °C
1926	22.6 °C
1927	22.5 °C
1928	21.5 °C
1932	23.1 °C
1933	23.5 °C
1934	23.3 °C
1935	23.6 °C
1936	23.4 °C
1937	22.3 °C
1938	22.1 °C
1939	21.9 °C
1940	21.0 °C
1941	22.9 °C
1943	23.3 °C
1944	23.6 °C
1945	22.9 °C
1946	22.2 °C
1947	22.8 °C
1948	23.3 °C
1949	22.7 °C
1950	21.8 °C
1951	22.7 °C
1952	23.0 °C
1953	22.7 °C
1954	23.5 °C
1955	23.1 °C
1956	22.3 °C
1957	23.1 °C
1958	22.7 °C
1959	22.5 °C
1960	21.8 °C
1962	21.8 °C
1963	21.2 °C
1965	22.5 °C
1966	22.0 °C
1968	21.4 °C
1969	21.5 °C
1970	22.4 °C
1971	21.8 °C
1972	21.8 °C
1973	21.8 °C
1974	21.0 °C
1975	21.4 °C
1976	20.6 °C
1977	22.9 °C
1980	23.0 °C
1981	21.9 °C
1982	20.7 °C
1988	21.9 °C
1990	21.9 °C
1991	22.9 °C
1992	21.0 °C
1993	22.1 °C
1994	21.8 °C
1995	22.4 °C
1996	21.6 °C
1997	20.6 °C
1998	22.9 °C
1999	22.5 °C
2000	22.3 °C
2001	22.0 °C
2002	22.9 °C
2003	22.1 °C
2004	22.2 °C
2005	22.9 °C
2006	23.4 °C
2007	23.0 °C
2008	22.3 °C
2009	22.1 °C
2010	23.9 °C
2011	22.6 °C
2012	22.8 °C
2013	21.8 °C
2014	22.1 °C
2015	23.0 °C
2016	23.6 °C
2017	22.7 °C
2018	22.8 °C
2019	23.0 °C
2020	21.6 °C
2021	21.6 °C
2022	23.0 °C
2024	23.4 °C
2025	23.0 °C
2026	23.7 °C

What this means for you: Since 1892, Scottsboro'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 Scottsboro (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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