Memphis, Tennessee Frost Dates, Growing Season & Hardiness Zone

When is the last frost in Memphis?

Expect the last 32°F night by Mar 16 in a typical year; 1 year in 10 still freezes after Apr 4. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically last longer, until around Mar 29. Hard freezes (28°F) typically end sooner, around Mar 4.

Frost risk in Memphis drags on well past the typical date. The safer 1-in-10 date (Apr 4) is 19 days later than the typical Mar 16, so protect tender plants set out early on cold nights.

Cold nights don't end with the last freeze. The typical last 36°F night (frost possible on plants in low spots) comes around Mar 29, 13 days after the typical last 32°F night. On clear, calm nights, frost can form on leaves while the thermometer still reads above freezing.

Our station has the earliest typical last frost of the 8 eligible stations near Memphis. If your yard runs cool, lean toward the safer Apr 4 date.

Is it too early to plant in Memphis?

Before Mar 16 the odds of another 32°F night are better than even; after Apr 4 they are about 1 in 10 or less.

Today's risk is computed in your browser from the same NOAA probability table, shown as the range between the two nearest NOAA probability levels.

When is the first frost in Memphis?

By Nov 16, half of years have had their first 32°F night. In 1 year out of 10, it comes as early as Nov 2. In a typical year, look for the first 36°F night (frost possible on plants) around Nov 5 and the first 28°F hard freeze around Nov 28.

Fall plantings are timed backward from first frost: Nov 16 typically, or Nov 2 if you want a cushion. See the planting calendar for each crop's date.

How long is Memphis's growing season?

Memphis's frost-free season (32°F) typically runs 244 days. In about 1 year out of 10, it's shorter than 221 days.

With a season this long, you can grow many crops twice: once in spring and again for fall.

Each year the station logs an average of 5,766 growing degree days (base 50°F), a measure of the heat available for crop growth.

How does Memphis's season compare?

Among the 56 U.S. cities with frost dates on this site, the typical frost-free season here is longer than in 38 of them and shorter than in 16.

Growing degree days (base 50°F)

Annual normal: 5,766 GDD (NOAA flag S, 30 years). Running total by the end of each month (sum of NOAA daily GDD normals, so the year-end total can differ slightly from the annual normal):

What growing zone is Memphis? (USDA 2023)

Memphis is in USDA zone 8a on the 2023 map, which means an average coldest winter night of 10 to 15°F. Most of the city was 7b on the 2012 map, and 28 of 33 city ZIPs found in both tables moved up half a zone.

Zones: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 2026-10-08. Shown as published in the ZIP tables; this page does not show a zone map. Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (official map: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov).

Does the new zone change Memphis's frost dates?

No. Hardiness zones are based only on the average coldest winter temperature. They say nothing about when spring and fall frosts happen. Memphis's frost dates come from NOAA's 1991–2020 frost probabilities, which did not change with the 2023 zone map. Use your zone to pick perennials that will survive winter, and your frost dates to time planting.

Why do Memphis frost dates differ between websites?

If you've seen Mar 24 listed as Memphis's last frost date, that's the 30%-risk date: about 3 years in 10 still get a 32°F night after it. We lead with Mar 16, the 50% (median) date.

Apr 4 is the 10%-risk, or 'safer', date. Only about 1 year in 10 has a 32°F night after it.

Mar 29 is the typical (50%) date for a 36°F night (frost possible on plants), not a 32°F freeze. Any site that draws the line at 36°F will show later dates.

Sites also pick different weather stations. Within 25 miles of the city center, the 8 stations that meet our quality rules put the typical (50%) last 32°F frost anywhere from Mar 16 to Mar 29 (table below).

Which weather station is this based on?

Station

Memphis International Airport (NOAA USW00013893, WBAN/ASOS-AWOS)

Distance

3.8 mi SSW of the city center

Elevation

254 ft; city center 314 ft (USGS), difference −60 ft

Record

NOAA completeness flag S, 30 of 30 years (1991–2020)

Confidence

High (rule)

Confidence: High. The station is close (3.8 miles from the city center), its elevation differs by just 60 ft, and its frost statistics meet our completeness rule (NOAA flag S, 30 of 30 years).

Memphis planting dates at a glance

Balanced dates use the 30%-risk last-frost date as the anchor. The Memphis planting calendar has typical and safe dates, fall planting and a month-by-month list for 26 vegetables.

When to plant tomatoes in Memphis · Fall planting dates for Memphis

Frost dates near Memphis

All Tennessee cities

Frequently asked questions

What is the average last frost date in Memphis?

The typical (median, 50%) last 32°F night in Memphis is Mar 16, based on NOAA 1991–2020 normals at Memphis International Airport. For a safer target, use Apr 4; after that, only about 1 year in 10 still has a freeze.

When is the first frost in Memphis?

Expect the first 32°F night by Nov 16 in a typical year, and as early as Nov 2 in about 1 year out of 10. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically start around Nov 5.

What growing zone is Memphis, Tennessee? Is Memphis zone 7 or 8?

On the current 2023 USDA map, Memphis is in hardiness zone 8a, part of zone 8. Older references may still say 'zone 7' because most of the city was 7b on the 2012 map.

Is it too early to plant in Memphis?

If it's before Mar 16, it's too early for frost-tender plants: another 32°F night is more likely than not. From Mar 16 to Apr 4, the risk falls from 50% to 10%. Cool-season crops such as peas and lettuce can be planted weeks earlier (see the planting calendar).

What temperature is a killing frost?

For tender crops like tomatoes, a light frost is a killing frost. CSU Extension calls 28–32°F a light frost and below 28°F a heavy frost. Our NOAA odds cover three thresholds: 36°F (frost possible on plants), 32°F (freeze, our headline) and 28°F (hard freeze).

Is first frost the same as first freeze?

Not quite. A freeze is when the air reaches 32°F. Frost is ice that forms on surfaces, and on calm, clear nights it can form with the air a few degrees above freezing. So in Memphis, the first 36°F night (frost possible on plants) typically comes around Nov 5, before the first 32°F night (Nov 16).

Download & sources

• Add Memphis frost & planting dates to your calendar (.ics, 2027)
• Printable planting calendar (PDF)
• How these numbers are calculated

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal and daily normals, station USW00013893); USDA Plant Hardiness Zone ZIP tables 2023 and 2012 by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; Census 2020 ZIP/place relationship file; USGS elevation. Long-term odds, not a forecast. Figures and sentences are generated from these data by fixed rules; see the methodology. Last updated 2026-10-08.