Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Dothan, AL
Dothan, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 1 and its first of fall around November 24 — a 270-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 3 | Dec 24 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 1 | Nov 24 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 21 | Nov 7 |
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: 270 days median, at least 240 in 9 years of 10, at least 303 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 Feb 12 and first of Dec 16.
Dothan planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 1) and median first frost (Nov 24) 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 7 | Feb 1 | May 22 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 1 | Mar 31 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 15 | Feb 15 | Apr 1 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 1 | Mar 15 | May 14 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 4 | Mar 8 | May 22 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 21 | Mar 15 | Jun 18 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 4 | Mar 8 | May 22 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 4 | Mar 8 | May 27 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 4 | Mar 8 | May 27 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 15 | Feb 15 | Apr 26 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 18 | Mar 8 | May 17 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 18 | Mar 8 | May 22 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 18 | Mar 8 | May 27 | 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 Dothan grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Dothan container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Dothan frost questions
When is the last frost in Dothan, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at DOTHAN RGNL AP, AL is March 1: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 21; nine years in ten, it comes after February 3. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Dothan, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 24. One year in ten it arrives before November 7; nine years in ten, before December 24.
How long is the growing season in Dothan, AL?
270 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 240 days; one year in ten, at least 303 days.
What growing zone is Dothan, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 36303. 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 Dothan, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 18 and transplant around Mar 8, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 21. First ripe fruit lands around May 22.
When should I plant peppers in Dothan, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 4; transplant no earlier than Mar 8, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 22.
Nearby in Alabama
- Montgomerylast frost Mar 4
- Auburnlast frost Mar 13
- Mobilelast frost Feb 21
- Hooverlast frost Mar 19
- Birminghamlast frost Mar 21
- Tuscaloosalast frost Mar 18
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →