Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Birmingham, AL
Birmingham, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 21 and its first of fall around November 11 — a 236-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Feb 28 | Dec 1 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 21 | Nov 11 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 8 | Oct 30 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 236 days median, at least 211 in 9 years of 10, at least 262 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 7 and first of Nov 24.
Birmingham planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 21) and median first frost (Nov 11) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 27 | Feb 21 | Jun 11 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 21 | Apr 20 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 7 | Mar 7 | Apr 21 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 21 | Apr 4 | Jun 3 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 24 | Mar 28 | Jun 11 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 10 | Apr 4 | Jul 8 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 24 | Mar 28 | Jun 11 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 24 | Mar 28 | Jun 16 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 24 | Mar 28 | Jun 16 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 7 | Mar 7 | May 16 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 7 | Mar 28 | Jun 6 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 7 | Mar 28 | Jun 11 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 7 | Mar 28 | Jun 16 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Birmingham grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Birmingham container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Birmingham frost questions
When is the last frost in Birmingham, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at BIRMINGHAM AP, AL is March 21: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 8; nine years in ten, it comes after February 28. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Birmingham, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 11. One year in ten it arrives before October 30; nine years in ten, before December 1.
How long is the growing season in Birmingham, AL?
236 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 211 days; one year in ten, at least 262 days.
What growing zone is Birmingham, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 35203. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Birmingham, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 7 and transplant around Mar 28, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 8. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 11.
When should I plant peppers in Birmingham, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 24; transplant no earlier than Mar 28, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 11.
Nearby in Alabama
- Hooverlast frost Mar 19
- Tuscaloosalast frost Mar 18
- Decaturlast frost Mar 26
- Huntsvillelast frost Mar 24
- Madisonlast frost Mar 24
- Montgomerylast frost Mar 4
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →