Monterey, TN 38574 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Monterey, TN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/20, roughly 235 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 185 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Monterey in Zone 7a (0 to 5°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 8 weeks of growing season left in Monterey 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
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Monterey compares
About 185 days separate Monterey's last and first frost, putting it 23,170 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within TN, it ranks 716 of 770.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Monterey can differ from the 38574 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Monterey's frost date answer different questions.