Frost dates for Knoxville, TN
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 11
typical year
Safe to plant
April 29
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 28
typical year
Growing season
198 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 14 – 28 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 28 – Mar 21 | Sep 2 – 16 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Sep 2 – 16 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 14 – Apr 25 | Sep 16 – 30 |
| Onions | – | Mar 14 – 28 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 21 – Apr 11 | Aug 5 – 19 |
| Beets | – | Mar 14 – 28 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Kale | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – 28 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Broccoli | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Cabbage | Jan 17 – 31 | Mar 14 – 28 | Aug 19 – Sep 2 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 16 – Oct 7 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 4 – 18 | Apr 29 – May 13 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 6 – 20 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 29 – May 20 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 29 – May 27 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 29 – May 20 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 29 – Aug 19 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 29 – May 27 | – |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 6 – 13 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | April 29 | April 11 | March 26 |
| Fall frost before | October 13 | October 28 | November 9 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around March 31 (April 16 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 6.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Knoxville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station KNOXVILLE EXP STN, TN US (USC00404946), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 14 zip codes, all within 12 miles:
37902, 37909, 37912, 37914, 37915, 37916, 37917, 37918, 37919, 37920, 37921, 37923, 37924, 37929
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.