Athens, AL 35615 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Athens, AL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/20, roughly 204 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/12, about 238 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Athens in Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in Athens before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Athens compares
Athens's growing season runs about 238 days, ranking 8,935 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AL, it ranks 342 of 809.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Athens's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Athens's dates instead of trusting one.