Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Montgomery, AL
Montgomery, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 4 and its first of fall around November 18 — a 262-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 9 | Dec 10 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 4 | Nov 18 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 23 | Nov 1 |
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: 262 days median, at least 234 in 9 years of 10, at least 293 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 17 and first of Dec 4.
Montgomery planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 4) and median first frost (Nov 18) 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 10 | Feb 4 | May 25 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 4 | Apr 3 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 18 | Feb 18 | Apr 4 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 4 | Mar 18 | May 17 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 24 | Mar 18 | Jun 21 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 7 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 18 | Feb 18 | Apr 29 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 20 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 25 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 21 | Mar 11 | May 30 | 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 Montgomery grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Montgomery container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Montgomery frost questions
When is the last frost in Montgomery, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MONTGOMERY 6SW, AL is March 4: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 23; nine years in ten, it comes after February 9. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Montgomery, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 18. One year in ten it arrives before November 1; nine years in ten, before December 10.
How long is the growing season in Montgomery, AL?
262 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 234 days; one year in ten, at least 293 days.
What growing zone is Montgomery, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 36106. 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 Montgomery, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 21 and transplant around Mar 11, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 23. First ripe fruit lands around May 25.
When should I plant peppers in Montgomery, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 7; transplant no earlier than Mar 11, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 25.
Nearby in Alabama
- Auburnlast frost Mar 13
- Hooverlast frost Mar 19
- Birminghamlast frost Mar 21
- Dothanlast frost Mar 1
- Tuscaloosalast frost Mar 18
- Mobilelast frost Feb 21
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →