When to plant in Fairmount (near Bristol), TN
Planting dates worked out from Fairmount (near Bristol)'s own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 16
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
174
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Abingdon 3s · 20.6 km away · station 587 m, town 529 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | May 8 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Mar 28 – May 9 | May 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 10 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Apr 21 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Fairmount (near Bristol)'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 |
|---|---|
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1973 | May 18 |
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 9 |
| 1977 | May 11 |
| 1978 | May 3 |
| 1979 | Apr 30 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 3 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | May 31 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | Apr 24 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | Apr 25 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 17 |
| 1991 | Apr 1 |
| 1992 | Apr 29 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1996 | May 16 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 13 |
| 1999 | Apr 13 |
| 2000 | Apr 27 |
| 2001 | Apr 26 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | May 20 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2014 | Apr 17 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 17 |
| 2020 | May 11 |
| 2021 | Apr 24 |
| 2022 | Apr 11 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | Apr 14 |
| 2026 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 156 |
| 1972 | 175 |
| 1973 | 151 |
| 1974 | 146 |
| 1975 | 164 |
| 1976 | 153 |
| 1977 | 145 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1979 | 158 |
| 1980 | 149 |
| 1981 | 152 |
| 1983 | 134 |
| 1984 | 124 |
| 1985 | 179 |
| 1986 | 174 |
| 1990 | 159 |
| 1991 | 187 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 168 |
| 1994 | 201 |
| 1995 | 173 |
| 1996 | 148 |
| 1997 | 159 |
| 1998 | 192 |
| 1999 | 191 |
| 2000 | 163 |
| 2001 | 163 |
| 2002 | 163 |
| 2003 | 184 |
| 2004 | 185 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 161 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 189 |
| 2010 | 184 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 199 |
| 2014 | 170 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 211 |
| 2017 | 174 |
| 2018 | 174 |
| 2019 | 198 |
| 2020 | 174 |
| 2021 | 195 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 192 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 19.1 °C |
| 1972 | 18.5 °C |
| 1973 | 19.2 °C |
| 1974 | 18.1 °C |
| 1975 | 18.5 °C |
| 1976 | 17.7 °C |
| 1977 | 19.7 °C |
| 1978 | 19.3 °C |
| 1979 | 18.5 °C |
| 1980 | 19.3 °C |
| 1981 | 19.0 °C |
| 1983 | 18.6 °C |
| 1984 | 18.6 °C |
| 1985 | 19.1 °C |
| 1986 | 20.2 °C |
| 1988 | 18.6 °C |
| 1989 | 18.5 °C |
| 1990 | 18.4 °C |
| 1991 | 19.5 °C |
| 1992 | 18.1 °C |
| 1993 | 19.1 °C |
| 1994 | 18.5 °C |
| 1995 | 19.4 °C |
| 1996 | 18.3 °C |
| 1997 | 17.2 °C |
| 1998 | 19.7 °C |
| 1999 | 19.5 °C |
| 2000 | 18.8 °C |
| 2001 | 19.1 °C |
| 2002 | 19.7 °C |
| 2003 | 19.0 °C |
| 2004 | 19.1 °C |
| 2005 | 19.6 °C |
| 2006 | 18.9 °C |
| 2007 | 17.5 °C |
| 2008 | 18.7 °C |
| 2009 | 18.7 °C |
| 2010 | 20.7 °C |
| 2011 | 20.1 °C |
| 2012 | 19.6 °C |
| 2013 | 18.9 °C |
| 2014 | 19.0 °C |
| 2015 | 19.6 °C |
| 2016 | 19.8 °C |
| 2017 | 19.2 °C |
| 2018 | 20.3 °C |
| 2019 | 20.3 °C |
| 2020 | 19.2 °C |
| 2021 | 19.7 °C |
| 2022 | 21.1 °C |
| 2024 | 20.0 °C |
| 2025 | 19.8 °C |
| 2026 | 20.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1970, Fairmount (near Bristol)'s last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 7 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Abingdon 3s (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.