Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Memphis, TN
Memphis, TN sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 16 and its first of fall around November 16 — a 244-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 27 | Dec 3 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 16 | Nov 16 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 4 | Nov 2 |
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: 244 days median, at least 221 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 4 and first of Nov 28.
Memphis planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 16) and median first frost (Nov 16) 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 22 | Feb 16 | Jun 6 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 16 | Apr 15 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 2 | Mar 2 | Apr 16 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 16 | Mar 30 | May 29 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 19 | Mar 23 | Jun 6 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 5 | Mar 30 | Jul 3 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 19 | Mar 23 | Jun 6 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 19 | Mar 23 | Jun 11 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 19 | Mar 23 | Jun 11 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 2 | Mar 2 | May 11 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 2 | Mar 23 | Jun 1 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 2 | Mar 23 | Jun 6 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 2 | Mar 23 | Jun 11 | 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 Memphis grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Memphis container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Memphis frost questions
When is the last frost in Memphis, TN?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MEMPHIS INTL AP, TN is March 16: 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 27. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Memphis, TN?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 16. One year in ten it arrives before November 2; nine years in ten, before December 3.
How long is the growing season in Memphis, TN?
244 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 221 days; one year in ten, at least 266 days.
What growing zone is Memphis, TN?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 38114. 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 Memphis, TN?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 2 and transplant around Mar 23, 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 6.
When should I plant peppers in Memphis, TN?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 19; transplant no earlier than Mar 23, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 6.
Nearby in Tennessee
- Bartlettlast frost Mar 29
- Colliervillelast frost Mar 29
- Jacksonlast frost Apr 2
- Columbialast frost Apr 10
- Spring Hilllast frost Apr 3
- Clarksvillelast frost Apr 10
All Tennessee frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →