Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Hoover, AL
Hoover, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 19 and its first of fall around November 8 — 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 26 | Nov 29 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 19 | Nov 8 |
| 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: 236 days median, at least 210 in 9 years of 10, at least 261 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 4 and first of Nov 22.
Hoover planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 19) and median first frost (Nov 8) 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 25 | Feb 19 | Jun 9 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 19 | Apr 18 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 5 | Mar 5 | Apr 19 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 19 | Apr 2 | Jun 1 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 22 | Mar 26 | Jun 9 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 8 | Apr 2 | Jul 6 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 22 | Mar 26 | Jun 9 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 22 | Mar 26 | Jun 14 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 22 | Mar 26 | Jun 14 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 5 | Mar 5 | May 14 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 5 | Mar 26 | Jun 4 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 5 | Mar 26 | Jun 9 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 5 | Mar 26 | Jun 14 | 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 Hoover grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Hoover container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Hoover frost questions
When is the last frost in Hoover, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at HELENA, AL is March 19: 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 February 26. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Hoover, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 8. One year in ten it arrives before October 26; nine years in ten, before November 29.
How long is the growing season in Hoover, 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 210 days; one year in ten, at least 261 days.
What growing zone is Hoover, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 35244. 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 Hoover, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 5 and transplant around Mar 26, 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 9.
When should I plant peppers in Hoover, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 22; transplant no earlier than Mar 26, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 9.
Nearby in Alabama
- Birminghamlast frost Mar 21
- Tuscaloosalast frost Mar 18
- Montgomerylast frost Mar 4
- Decaturlast frost Mar 26
- Huntsvillelast frost Mar 24
- Madisonlast frost Mar 24
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →