Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 35401
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 35401 in zone 8b (the coldest night of a typical year: 15 to 20°F).
The nearest station, Tuscaloosa Acfd, AL, is 2 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 12 in half of years and after April 2 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8b.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa Acfd, AL | 2 mi | 169 ft | March 12 | April 2 | November 15 | 8b |
| Tuscaloosa, ALTuscaloosa Municipal Airport | 2 mi | 150 ft | March 16 | April 3 | November 12 | 8b |
| Northport, AL2 mi S | 3 mi | 150 ft | March 18 | April 4 | November 10 | – |
| Bankhead Lock and Dam, AL | 24 mi | 280 ft | March 20 | April 9 | November 11 | – |
| Centreville, AL6 mi SW | 31 mi | 450 ft | April 2 | April 19 | November 2 | 8a |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Tuscaloosa Acfd
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | April 15 | April 4 | March 28 | March 6 | November 4 | October 24 |
| 32°F | April 2 | March 21 | March 12 | February 22 | November 15 | November 2 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 18 | March 7 | February 28 | February 2 | December 1 | November 11 |
| 24°F | March 8 | February 25 | February 11 | January 12 | December 22 | November 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.