Frost dates 2026–2027

Frost dates for Dayton, Tennessee

Median (50% chance) dates of the last and first 32°F frost, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Dayton 2SE, 1.7 mi away (close match).

Last spring frostApr 4
First fall frostOct 31
208 frost-free days
Last spring frostApr 41 year in 10 after Apr 22
First fall frostOct 311 year in 10 by Oct 19
Growing season208 daysbetween median 32°F dates
Hardiness zoneZone 7b5 to 10°F average extreme low

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Will it freeze in Dayton in the next 7 nights?

No overnight lows at or below 32°F are forecast in Dayton during the next 7 nights in the available NWS frost forecast.

Tonight: forecast low 46°F. Above 36°F.

NWS forecast period: Thu, Nov 5, 6:00 PM EST to Fri, Nov 6, 6:00 AM EST.

2 of the next 7 nights are forecast at 36°F or colder, cold enough for frost on exposed plants.

Overnight lows from the National Weather Service forecast for this location. This covers the available forecast window, not the first freeze of the whole season. Frost can form above 32°F on clear, calm nights.

Frost and freeze probabilities

Freeze dates shift from year to year. Spring percentages describe the chance of a freeze after the stated date; fall percentages describe the chance of a freeze by that date. The 10% spring date is the cautious one: a later freeze happens about 1 year in 10.

These dates describe historical probabilities, not this year’s forecast or the earliest and latest possible freezes. Different weather stations or probability thresholds can produce different published dates for the same city.

Average first hard freeze in Dayton

The median first fall hard-freeze date (28°F) is November 10, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals at Dayton 2SE. This is the 50% probability date, not a forecast for this year.

TemperatureLast spring date
90% · 50% · 10% chance of a later freeze
First fall date
10% · 50% · 90% chance of an earlier freeze
Season
36°F frost possible Mar 31 · Apr 18 · May 3 Oct 9 · Oct 22 · Nov 2 187 days
32°F freeze Mar 18 · Apr 4 · Apr 22 Oct 19 · Oct 31 · Nov 12 208 days
28°F hard freeze Mar 6 · Mar 26 · Apr 9 Oct 28 · Nov 10 · Nov 29 230 days
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00402360. How to read these probabilities.

Average high temperature by month

1991–2020 normals at Dayton 2SE

Average low temperature by month

Months with lows near or below freezing carry frost risk

Where these frost dates come from

The frost dates for Dayton, TN come from the nearest weather station with freeze statistics in NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals: Dayton 2SE (station USC00402360, elevation 822 ft), 1.7 mi from Dayton. Local conditions (valleys, hilltops, distance to water, city heat) can shift frost dates by days or weeks. The hardiness zone is from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA ARS and Oregon State University PRISM). See our methodology.

Frost dates near Dayton

CityDistanceLast spring frostFirst fall frost
Soddy-Daisy, TN 19 mi Apr 7 Oct 29
Athens, TN 23 mi Apr 6 Oct 31
Cleveland, TN 23 mi Apr 6 Oct 30
Dunlap, TN 23 mi Mar 26 Nov 8
Collegedale, TN 30 mi Mar 24 Nov 9
Signal Mountain, TN 30 mi Mar 31 Nov 6
Sweetwater, TN 31 mi Apr 10 Oct 27
Red Bank, TN 31 mi Mar 31 Nov 6
Crossville, TN 32 mi Apr 16 Oct 23
Rockwood, TN 32 mi Apr 8 Oct 31

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Dayton?

On average, the last spring frost (32°F) in Dayton is around April 4. In about 1 year in 10 it comes after April 22, and in 9 years in 10 it comes after March 18.

When is the first frost in Dayton?

The first fall frost (32°F) usually arrives around October 31. There’s a 10% chance of a freeze by October 19 and a 90% chance by November 12.

Can it frost in Dayton after the last frost date?

Yes. Frost can form on clear, calm nights even when the air stays above 32°F. Temperatures of 36°F or lower, cold enough for frost on exposed plants, have a 50% chance of occurring after April 18.

What growing zone is Dayton?

Dayton is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b (average annual extreme minimum temperature 5 to 10°F), based on the 2023 USDA map for ZIP code 37321. See growing zones in Tennessee.

More: all Tennessee frost dates · Tennessee growing zones · frost vs. freeze