Nashville, Tennessee Frost Dates, Growing Season & Hardiness Zone

When is the last frost in Nashville?

Expect the last 32°F night by Apr 1 in a typical year; 1 year in 10 still freezes after Apr 16. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically last longer, until around Apr 14. Hard freezes (28°F) typically end sooner, around Mar 20.

Frost risk in Nashville drags on well past the typical date. The safer 1-in-10 date (Apr 16) is 15 days later than the typical Apr 1, 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 Apr 14, 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.

Is it too early to plant in Nashville?

Before Apr 1 the odds of another 32°F night are better than even; after Apr 16 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 Nashville?

By Oct 31, half of years have had their first 32°F night. In 1 year out of 10, it comes as early as Oct 18. In a typical year, look for the first 36°F night (frost possible on plants) around Oct 22 and the first 28°F hard freeze around Nov 9.

For fall crops, count back from Oct 31, or from Oct 18 to be safe. Our planting calendar does the math for each crop.

How long is Nashville's growing season?

A typical year in Nashville has 213 days between the last spring and first fall 32°F nights. In about 1 year in 10, there are fewer than 192 days.

Most warm-season vegetables have time to finish if you plant on schedule. For long-season crops, transplants do best.

The station averages 4,655 growing degree days (base 50°F) a year. That number measures how much heat crops have to grow on.

How does Nashville's season compare?

Nationwide, across the 56 cities with frost dates on this site, the typical frost-free season here outlasts the one in 29 of them and falls short of the one in 25.

Growing degree days (base 50°F)

Annual normal: 4,655 GDD (NOAA flag R, 10 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 Nashville? (USDA 2023)

On the 2023 USDA map, Nashville is zone 7a–7b (0 to 10°F average coldest winter night). On the 2012 map, most of the city was 7a. Of the 36 city ZIPs listed in both tables, 35 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 Nashville's frost dates?

No. Zones describe only how cold the coldest winter night gets on average. They don't tell you when frost starts or stops. The frost dates for Nashville come from NOAA's 1991–2020 frost probabilities, which the 2023 zone map left untouched. Choose winter-hardy perennials by zone, and schedule planting by frost dates.

Why do Nashville frost dates differ between websites?

You may see Apr 7 given as Nashville's last frost date. That's the 30%-risk date, meaning about 3 years in 10 still have a 32°F night after it. Our headline date is Apr 1, the 50% (median) date.

The 'safer' date, Apr 16, is the 10%-risk date. A 32°F night after it happens in only about 1 year in 10.

Apr 14 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.

Station choice is another reason dates differ. Our 15 qualifying stations within 25 miles of the city center range from Mar 31 to Apr 16 for the typical (50%) last 32°F frost (table below).

Which weather station is this based on?

Station

Shelby Bottoms Nature (NOAA USC00408238, COOP)

Distance

3.4 mi E of the city center

Elevation

405 ft; city center 427 ft (USGS), difference −22 ft

Record

NOAA completeness flag R, 11 of 30 years (1991–2020)

Confidence

Medium (rule)

Confidence: Medium. The station meets our quality rules, but its distance (3.4 mi) or elevation difference (−22 ft) is larger than ideal. Its frost statistics: NOAA flag R, 11 of 30 years.

Note: NOAA rates this station's frost statistics 'R' (representative). That means they use 11 of the 30 years in 1991–2020, with missing months filled in from surrounding stations. For comparison, the nearest station with a full 'S' (standard) record, Nashville International Airport (6.5 mi away), has a typical last frost of Mar 31.

Nashville planting dates at a glance

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

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

Frost dates near Nashville

All Tennessee cities

Frequently asked questions

What is the average last frost date in Nashville?

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

When is the first frost in Nashville?

Expect the first 32°F night by Oct 31 in a typical year, and as early as Oct 18 in about 1 year out of 10. Cold 36°F nights (frost possible on plants) typically start around Oct 22.

What growing zone is Nashville, Tennessee?

Zone 7a–7b, on the current 2023 USDA map. Most of Nashville was 7a on the older 2012 map, and you may still see that in older references.

Is it too early to plant in Nashville?

If it's before Apr 1, it's too early for frost-tender plants: another 32°F night is more likely than not. From Apr 1 to Apr 16, 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?

It depends on the crop. Tender plants such as tomatoes are killed by a light frost, which CSU Extension describes as 28–32°F; below 28°F is a heavy frost. We show NOAA odds for 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 exactly. A freeze is about the air reaching 32°F. Frost is ice on surfaces, which can form on calm, clear nights while the air is still a few degrees above freezing. So in Nashville, the first 36°F night (frost possible on plants) typically comes around Oct 22, ahead of the first 32°F night (Oct 31).

Download & sources

• Add Nashville 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 USC00408238); 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.