Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga, TN sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 24 and its first of fall around November 9 — a 230-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 6 | Nov 26 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 24 | Nov 9 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 8 | Oct 27 |
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: 230 days median, at least 210 in 9 years of 10, at least 254 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 11 and first of Nov 22.
Chattanooga planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 24) and median first frost (Nov 9) 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 30 | Feb 24 | Jun 14 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 24 | Apr 23 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 10 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 24 | Apr 7 | Jun 6 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 27 | Mar 31 | Jun 14 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 13 | Apr 7 | Jul 11 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 27 | Mar 31 | Jun 14 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 27 | Mar 31 | Jun 19 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 27 | Mar 31 | Jun 19 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 10 | Mar 10 | May 19 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 10 | Mar 31 | Jun 9 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 10 | Mar 31 | Jun 14 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 10 | Mar 31 | Jun 19 | 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 Chattanooga grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Chattanooga container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Chattanooga frost questions
When is the last frost in Chattanooga, TN?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CHATTANOOGA LOVELL AP, TN is March 24: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 8; nine years in ten, it comes after March 6. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Chattanooga, TN?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 9. One year in ten it arrives before October 27; nine years in ten, before November 26.
How long is the growing season in Chattanooga, TN?
230 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 254 days.
What growing zone is Chattanooga, TN?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 37406. 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 Chattanooga, TN?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 10 and transplant around Mar 31, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 8. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 14.
When should I plant peppers in Chattanooga, TN?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 27; transplant no earlier than Mar 31, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 14.
Nearby in Tennessee
- Clevelandlast frost Apr 6
- Murfreesborolast frost Apr 9
- Smyrnalast frost Apr 13
- Knoxvillelast frost Apr 11
- La Vergnelast frost Apr 13
- Lebanonlast frost Apr 10
All Tennessee frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →