Frost Report

All states Tennessee

Frost dates for White Bluff, 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 16

typical year

Safe to plant

May 2

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 26

typical year

Growing season

193 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 19 – Apr 2 –
Spinach – Mar 5 – 26 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Lettuce – Mar 19 – Apr 9 Aug 31 – Sep 14
Radishes – Mar 19 – Apr 30 Sep 14 – 28
Onions – Mar 19 – Apr 2 –
Potatoes – Mar 26 – Apr 9 –
Carrots – Mar 26 – Apr 16 Aug 3 – 17
Beets – Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 17 – 31
Kale Feb 5 – 19 Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 17 – 31
Broccoli Feb 5 – 19 Apr 2 – 16 Aug 17 – 31
Cabbage Jan 22 – Feb 5 Mar 19 – Apr 2 Aug 17 – 31
Garlic – – Sep 14 – Oct 5
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 7 – 21 May 2 – 16 –
Peppers Feb 28 – Mar 14 May 9 – 23 –
Cucumbers – May 2 – 23 –
Zucchini – May 2 – 30 –
Pumpkins – May 2 – 23 –
Green beans – May 2 – Aug 17 –
Sweet corn – May 2 – 30 –
Basil Mar 28 – Apr 11 May 9 – 16 –

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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 2April 16March 29
Fall frost before October 13October 26November 6

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 April 2 (April 20 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 4.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.

White Bluff, Burns, Charlotte

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station MONTGOMERY BELL SP, TN US (USC00406180), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 4 miles:

37029

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.