Gulf Shores, AL 36511 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Gulf Shores, AL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/05, about 189 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/23, about 264 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Gulf Shores in Zone 9a (20 to 25°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 12 weeks of growing season left in Gulf Shores 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
03/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Gulf Shores compares
At roughly 264 frost-free days, Gulf Shores places 6,052 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within AL, it ranks 97 of 809.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Gulf Shores's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Gulf Shores can differ from the 36511 normal.