Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Decatur, AL
Decatur, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 26 and its first of fall around November 7 — a 228-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 | Mar 5 | Nov 26 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 26 | Nov 7 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 9 | Oct 26 |
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: 228 days median, at least 205 in 9 years of 10, at least 252 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 12 and first of Nov 19.
Decatur planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 26) and median first frost (Nov 7) 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) | Jan 1 | Feb 26 | Jun 16 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 26 | Apr 25 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 12 | Mar 12 | Apr 26 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 26 | Apr 9 | Jun 8 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 29 | Apr 2 | Jun 16 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 15 | Apr 9 | Jul 13 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 29 | Apr 2 | Jun 16 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 29 | Apr 2 | Jun 21 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 29 | Apr 2 | Jun 21 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 12 | Mar 12 | May 21 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 12 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 12 | Apr 2 | Jun 16 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 12 | Apr 2 | Jun 21 | 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 Decatur grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Decatur container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Decatur frost questions
When is the last frost in Decatur, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at DECATUR 4SE, AL is March 26: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 9; nine years in ten, it comes after March 5. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Decatur, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 7. One year in ten it arrives before October 26; nine years in ten, before November 26.
How long is the growing season in Decatur, AL?
228 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 205 days; one year in ten, at least 252 days.
What growing zone is Decatur, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 35601. 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 Decatur, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 12 and transplant around Apr 2, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 9. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 16.
When should I plant peppers in Decatur, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 29; transplant no earlier than Apr 2, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 16.
Nearby in Alabama
- Madisonlast frost Mar 24
- Huntsvillelast frost Mar 24
- Florencelast frost Mar 27
- Birminghamlast frost Mar 21
- Hooverlast frost Mar 19
- Tuscaloosalast frost Mar 18
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →