Mobile, AL Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Mobile, Alabama.
Gardening in Mobile
Mobile's Gulf Coast location and French-Spanish colonial heritage create a gardening culture that feels more like Louisiana than Alabama. The port city's subtropical climate grows food year-round, and the live oaks and azaleas prove that ornamental gardening thrives here too.
Gulf moisture and mild winters give Mobile 268 frost-free days. The proximity to the water moderates temperature extremes but amplifies humidity to sauna levels. Sandy coastal soil drains fast. Hurricane season is the annual wildcard that every Gulf Coast gardener respects.
Mardi Gras started in Mobile, not New Orleans — and Mobile's food garden traditions are equally foundational to Gulf Coast culture. The Bellingrath Gardens prove that the Gulf Coast grows world-class ornamentals alongside world-class vegetables.
What This Means for Mobile Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Mobile is around February 25, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 20. That gives you approximately 268 frost-free days to work with.
268 days is a long, productive season that supports two full rounds of warm-season crops plus continuous cool-season production through your mild winter. Most frost-sensitive crops can be transplanted by February 25, giving them months to produce before fall. Your winter garden is the real advantage — growing fresh vegetables in December and January while northern gardeners browse seed catalogs.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Mobile area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Mobile
Mobile's 268-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full Alabama planting guide for all 40 plants: Alabama Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Mobile.
More About Zone 8B
Mobile is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 15°F to 20°F. View the full Zone 8B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Alabama: Alabama Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Alabama
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Mobile area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Mobile (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (February 25). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.