Frost dates · USDA zone 8b
Frost dates for Tuscaloosa, AL
Tuscaloosa, AL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 18 and its first of fall around November 10 — a 239-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 18 | Nov 10 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 4 | Oct 29 |
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: 239 days median, at least 215 in 9 years of 10, at least 266 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 3 and first of Nov 25.
Tuscaloosa planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 18) and median first frost (Nov 10) 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 24 | Feb 18 | Jun 8 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 18 | Apr 17 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 4 | Mar 4 | Apr 18 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 18 | Apr 1 | May 31 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 21 | Mar 25 | Jun 8 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 7 | Apr 1 | Jul 5 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 21 | Mar 25 | Jun 8 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 21 | Mar 25 | Jun 13 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 21 | Mar 25 | Jun 13 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 4 | Mar 4 | May 13 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 4 | Mar 25 | Jun 3 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 4 | Mar 25 | Jun 8 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 4 | Mar 25 | Jun 13 | 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 Tuscaloosa grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Tuscaloosa container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Tuscaloosa frost questions
When is the last frost in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at NORTHPORT 2 S, AL is March 18: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 4; nine years in ten, it comes after February 26. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 10. One year in ten it arrives before October 29; nine years in ten, before November 29.
How long is the growing season in Tuscaloosa, AL?
239 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 215 days; one year in ten, at least 266 days.
What growing zone is Tuscaloosa, AL?
USDA hardiness zone 8b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 35487. 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 Tuscaloosa, AL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 4 and transplant around Mar 25, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 4. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 8.
When should I plant peppers in Tuscaloosa, AL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 21; transplant no earlier than Mar 25, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 8.
Nearby in Alabama
- Hooverlast frost Mar 19
- Birminghamlast frost Mar 21
- Montgomerylast frost Mar 4
- Decaturlast frost Mar 26
- Florencelast frost Mar 27
- Madisonlast frost Mar 24
All Alabama frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →