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Your nature year

Knoxville, Tennesseethrough the year

Also for Oak Ridge, TN, Maryville, TN, Farragut, TN, Morristown, TN: the same nearby places.

When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Knoxville?

Spring green-up reaches town around Feb 26, with first blooms around Apr 2. Frost usually lets go around Apr 11 and comes back around Oct 28, according to NOAA's Knoxville Exp Stn station, 5 miles away: roughly 200 days without it. Statewide, Tennessee's fall color is usually well under way by late October. Within 150 miles we follow 12 places, out to Daniel Boone National Forest 147 miles to the north. For a day trip, Great Smoky Mountains is 32 miles off; its fall foliage is usually at its best Oct 1–Nov 10. Great Smoky Mountains (32 mi) is the pick for synchronous fireflies, usually May 21–Jun 10. Knoxville sits at about 886 feet.

Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Best this weekend nearby

Oct 3–Oct 4 · within 150 straight-line miles of Knoxville
  1. Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee · 32 mi · Fall foliage

    Usually Oct 1–Nov 10

    Sat Oct 3: Chance Rain Showers, 75°F · Sun Oct 4: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 70°F

    No report yet
  2. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina · 90 mi · Fall foliage

    Usually Oct 1–31

    Sat Oct 3: Chance Rain Showers, 64°F · Sun Oct 4: Rain Showers Likely, 59°F

    No report yet

Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service. 1 more nearby place has only regional or statewide timing, so it isn't listed.

Knoxville's year at a glance

  • Frost possible
  • Frost-free, ~Apr 11 to ~Oct 28
  • First leaf ~Feb 26
  • First bloom ~Apr 2
  • Fall color under way ~Oct 21 (TN)
  • Today

Near Knoxville right now

  • Fall color is usually well under way by late October in TennesseeStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast
    ~3 weeks
  • First fall frost usually around Oct 28 · last spring frost around Apr 11NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Knoxville Exp Stn (5 mi, 50% dates)
    ~4 weeks
  • Fall foliage · Great Smoky Mountains · 32 miusually Oct 1–Nov 10
    ~3 days

Knoxville's nature year

From the town's own dates and its nearest places
  • Spring green-upFeb
  • Last spring frostApr
  • Wildflowers · Great Smoky MountainsApr
  • Synchronous fireflies · Great Smoky MountainsMay–Jun
  • Fall color (TN)Oct
  • First fall frostOct

Nearby, season by season

Real places within 150 miles, straight-line

Fall foliage

Synchronous fireflies

Wildflowers

Frost and green-up

Last spring frost

Apr 11

Average (50% date)

First fall frost

Oct 28

About 200 days without frost between

Spring green-up

Feb 26

First bloom around Apr 2

Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Knoxville Exp Stn (5 mi from Knoxville), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.

Questions people ask

When is the first frost in Knoxville?

On average around Oct 28, and the last spring frost around Apr 11: about 200 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Knoxville Exp Stn, 5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).

When does spring green-up reach Knoxville?

The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Feb 26 and first bloom around Apr 2, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.

Where can I see fall foliage near Knoxville?

Great Smoky Mountains, 32 miles (usually Oct 1–Nov 10); Cherokee National Forest, 41 miles (usually Oct 11–Nov 10); Cumberland Gap, 46 miles (local timing: Oct 1–31). Distances are straight-line.

Where can I see synchronous fireflies near Knoxville?

Great Smoky Mountains, 32 miles (usually May 21–Jun 10). Distances are straight-line.

How we know

US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)

All our sources and how we use them →