Tennessee frost dates
The typical last spring frost ranges from Mar 16 in Memphis to Apr 17 in Gatlinburg.
7 of the 7 Tennessee cities listed have typical frost dates. The longest frost-free season is 244 days in Memphis; the shortest is 189 days in Gatlinburg. For a single address, look up your ZIP code: rural ZIPs use their nearest suitable station.
| City | Last spring frost | 1 in 10 after | First fall frost | 1 in 10 before | Hard freeze (28°F) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | Mar 24 | Apr 8 | Nov 9 | Oct 27 | Mar 11 / Nov 22 | 230 days |
| Clarksville | Apr 3 | Apr 20 | Nov 1 | Oct 20 | Mar 22 / Nov 11 | 212 days |
| Gatlinburg | Apr 17 | May 2 | Oct 25 | Oct 12 | Apr 2 / Nov 4 | 189 days |
| Knoxville | Apr 11 | Apr 29 | Oct 28 | Oct 13 | Mar 31 / Nov 6 | 198 days |
| Memphis | Mar 16 | Apr 4 | Nov 16 | Nov 2 | Mar 4 / Nov 28 | 244 days |
| Murfreesboro | Apr 9 | Apr 26 | Oct 27 | Oct 15 | Mar 28 / Nov 7 | 202 days |
| Nashville | Mar 31 | Apr 16 | Nov 3 | Oct 22 | Mar 17 / Nov 15 | 217 days |
Reading the table: Clarksville
In Clarksville, the last spring frost typically comes around Apr 3: in half of years it is earlier, in half later. In 1 year in 10 it comes after Apr 20, 17 days later, so tender plants set out after that date have a 90% chance of escaping frost. In fall, the first frost typically arrives around Nov 1, and in 1 year in 10 before Oct 20. Hard freezes (28°F) usually end earlier in spring and start later in fall: around Mar 22 and Nov 11 in Clarksville.
Frost dates at more Tennessee weather stations
NOAA stations across Tennessee used by our ZIP code lookup, named for the town they are in.
| Station | Elevation | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo 1 N | 330 ft | Mar 28 (1 in 10 after Apr 12) | Nov 4 (before Oct 22) |
| Allardt | 1,645 ft | Apr 17 (1 in 10 after May 7) | Oct 23 (before Oct 9) |
| Ames Plantation | 460 ft | Apr 1 (1 in 10 after Apr 17) | Nov 3 (before Oct 21) |
| Athens | 940 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 24) | Oct 31 (before Oct 20) |
| Bolivar Wtr Wks | 455 ft | Apr 3 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Oct 30 (before Oct 17) |
| Bristol Tri City Airport | 1,500 ft | Apr 16 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 24 (before Oct 11) |
| Byrdstown | 880 ft | Apr 12 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 25 (before Oct 13) |
| Camden | 423 ft | Apr 3 (1 in 10 after Apr 17) | Nov 1 (before Oct 19) |
| Carthage | 515 ft | Apr 10 (1 in 10 after Apr 27) | Oct 29 (before Oct 17) |
| Cheatham L&D | 392 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 27) | Nov 1 (before Oct 20) |
| Cleveland Fltr Plt | 842 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 30 (before Oct 18) |
| Coalmont | 1,856 ft | Apr 21 (1 in 10 after May 10) | Oct 20 (before Oct 7) |
| Cookeville | 1,090 ft | Apr 14 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 25 (before Oct 12) |
| Covington 3 Sw | 385 ft | Mar 27 (1 in 10 after Apr 11) | Nov 4 (before Oct 23) |
| Crossville Mem Airport | 1,867 ft | Apr 16 (1 in 10 after May 5) | Oct 23 (before Oct 12) |
| Dayton 2SE | 822 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 22) | Oct 31 (before Oct 19) |
| Dickson | 780 ft | Apr 13 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 25 (before Oct 12) |
| Dover 1 W | 475 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 31 (before Oct 18) |
| Dresden | 450 ft | Apr 3 (1 in 10 after Apr 20) | Nov 1 (before Oct 21) |
| Dyersburg III Golf | 300 ft | Mar 28 (1 in 10 after Apr 15) | Nov 2 (before Oct 20) |
| Elizabethton | 1,487 ft | Apr 19 (1 in 10 after May 7) | Oct 24 (before Oct 10) |
| Fayetteville WTP | 742 ft | Apr 7 (1 in 10 after Apr 22) | Oct 28 (before Oct 13) |
| Greeneville Exp Stn | 1,320 ft | Apr 20 (1 in 10 after May 8) | Oct 22 (before Oct 8) |
| Huntingdon WTP | 440 ft | Apr 2 (1 in 10 after Apr 18) | Oct 31 (before Oct 19) |
| Jackson Exp Stn | 400 ft | Apr 2 (1 in 10 after Apr 18) | Oct 29 (before Oct 16) |
| Jackson Mckellar Airport | 433 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 29 (before Oct 16) |
| Kingsport | 1,284 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 25) | Oct 29 (before Oct 15) |
| Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport | 962 ft | Apr 1 (1 in 10 after Apr 17) | Nov 2 (before Oct 21) |
| Lafayette | 975 ft | Apr 3 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Nov 1 (before Oct 20) |
| Lancing 6 Nw | 1,520 ft | Apr 21 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 17 (before Oct 4) |
| Lawrenceburg Filt Plt | 870 ft | Apr 8 (1 in 10 after Apr 26) | Oct 31 (before Oct 18) |
| Lenoir City | 785 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Nov 1 (before Oct 20) |
| Lewisburg Exp Stn | 787 ft | Apr 14 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 22 (before Oct 9) |
| Lexington | 540 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 30 (before Oct 18) |
| Livingston Radio Wliv | 975 ft | Apr 12 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 25 (before Oct 12) |
| Lookout Mtn-Point Park | 2,110 ft | Mar 31 (1 in 10 after Apr 18) | Nov 6 (before Oct 24) |
| Martin U Of T Branch E | 340 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 28 (before Oct 15) |
| Mc Minnville | 940 ft | Apr 7 (1 in 10 after Apr 23) | Oct 30 (before Oct 16) |
| Milan Exp Stn | 415 ft | Apr 4 (1 in 10 after Apr 21) | Oct 28 (before Oct 15) |
| Monteagle | 1,850 ft | Apr 10 (1 in 10 after Apr 27) | Oct 28 (before Oct 15) |
| Morristown Radio Wcrk | 1,344 ft | Apr 10 (1 in 10 after Apr 26) | Oct 28 (before Oct 16) |
| Moscow | 335 ft | Mar 29 (1 in 10 after Apr 16) | Nov 3 (before Oct 21) |
| Mtn City 2 | 2,419 ft | Apr 27 (1 in 10 after May 15) | Oct 14 (before Oct 3) |
| Newport 1 Nw | 1,036 ft | Apr 7 (1 in 10 after Apr 23) | Oct 29 (before Oct 17) |
| Norris | 1,110 ft | Apr 22 (1 in 10 after May 9) | Oct 25 (before Oct 11) |
| Oak Ridge Atdd | 905 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Nov 1 (before Oct 19) |
| Oneida | 1,440 ft | Apr 23 (1 in 10 after May 12) | Oct 18 (before Oct 5) |
| Paris 2 Se | 443 ft | Apr 7 (1 in 10 after Apr 22) | Oct 31 (before Oct 19) |
| Parsons WTP | 410 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 20) | Oct 29 (before Oct 16) |
| Portland Sewage Plt | 794 ft | Apr 5 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Nov 1 (before Oct 21) |
| Pulaski Wwtp | 644 ft | Apr 14 (1 in 10 after Apr 28) | Oct 24 (before Oct 12) |
| Rogersville 1 Ne | 1,355 ft | Apr 14 (1 in 10 after May 3) | Oct 24 (before Oct 11) |
| Savannah 6 Sw | 420 ft | Mar 31 (1 in 10 after Apr 15) | Nov 1 (before Oct 18) |
| Selmer | 470 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 20) | Oct 30 (before Oct 18) |
| Springfield Exp Stn | 745 ft | Apr 9 (1 in 10 after Apr 28) | Oct 28 (before Oct 14) |
| Tazewell | 1,365 ft | Apr 23 (1 in 10 after May 11) | Oct 19 (before Oct 8) |
| Union City | 350 ft | Apr 3 (1 in 10 after Apr 19) | Oct 29 (before Oct 17) |
| Waynesboro | 750 ft | Apr 14 (1 in 10 after Apr 30) | Oct 24 (before Oct 12) |
| Winchester 5SE | 941 ft | Apr 6 (1 in 10 after Apr 25) | Oct 29 (before Oct 16) |
| Woodbury 1 Wnw | 750 ft | Apr 17 (1 in 10 after May 2) | Oct 21 (before Oct 8) |
32°F dates from NOAA 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for each city's station. "1 in 10 after": a 10% chance of a later spring frost (planting is 90% safe after it). How to read frost dates.