Memphis, TN 38174 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Memphis, TN?
Around 03/16 is the usual last spring frost, about 200 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/16, about 244 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Memphis 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 Memphis 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
03/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Memphis compares
Memphis's growing season runs about 244 days, ranking 8,133 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within TN, it ranks 39 of 770.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Memphis can differ from the 38174 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Memphis's frost date answer different questions.