blissgarden.

When to plant in Leeds, AL

USDA Zone 8a

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Leeds, Alabama — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

These dates come from a station roughly 16 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Leeds (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. Zone 8a means many perennials and even some tender shrubs overwinter in Leeds, while your frost dates still decide when annuals go out.

Station · BIRMINGHAM AP · 16.2 km
Last spring frost
March 21
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
November 11
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
235 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for LeedsA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Leeds: last spring frost around March 21, first fall frost around November 11, about 235 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Leeds is now 6 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

BIRMINGHAM AP · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Leeds’s own odds, recorded at BIRMINGHAM AP.

Frost-probability curves for LeedsProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around March 21 and the first fall frost around November 11, giving about 235 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FApr 20Apr 3Mar 16Oct 21Nov 2Nov 17
32°FApr 8Mar 21Feb 28Oct 30Nov 11Dec 1
28°FMar 26Mar 7Feb 14Nov 6Nov 24Dec 15

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowin 3 days
Brussels Sprouts
July 22August 5
Fall sowin 17 days
Rutabaga
August 5August 19

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Leeds, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 36 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

BIRMINGHAM AP
Primary
16 km · 188 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 21
FALL
Nov 11
PINSON
19 km · 185 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 4
FALL
Nov 1
CHILDERSBURG WTP
36 km · 127 m elevation
SPRING
Mar 31
FALL
Nov 2

Leeds planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Leeds, AL?

Plan for the last spring frost in Leeds around March 21 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Leeds, AL?

In Leeds, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around November 11 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.

What hardiness zone is Leeds in?

Leeds is in USDA hardiness zone 8a. In zone 8a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Leeds?

There are roughly 235 frost-free days in Leeds (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around March 21 to the first fall frost near November 11.

When should I plant tomatoes in Leeds?

In Leeds, start tomato seeds indoors around January 24–February 7, then transplant seedlings outdoors around March 28 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Leeds

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Leeds’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at BIRMINGHAM AP, 16 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Leeds, AL — Frost Dates & Zone 8a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00013876. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/alabama/leeds.