Rutledge, TN 37888 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Rutledge, TN, ZIP 37888
Around 04/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 239 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 175 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Rutledge in Zone 7b (5 to 10°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
Zone 7b around Rutledge has about 7 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/24 isn't a guarantee
04/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/10 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rutledge compares
About 175 days separate Rutledge's last and first frost, putting it 27,050 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within TN, it ranks 759 of 770.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Rutledge's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Rutledge can differ from the 37888 normal.