USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32025 — Lake City, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lake City 2 E, FL (195 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lake City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 273 days (NOAA, Lake City 2 E, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 28
- Growing season
- 273 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake City
Half of springs at Lake City 2 E, FL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 5, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 24 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 60% of the 101 Florida stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 28 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past December 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 273 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 306 days one year in ten and falls short of 244 one year in ten. On average 14 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 17 days longer, to about March 18, and return around November 17. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 79% of winters and 16°F in 10%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F79% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F79% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lake City 2 E, FL, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 32025 →Compare Lake City with another place →
Weather by month in Lake City
July is the warmest month at Lake City 2 E, FL, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 41°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 84% of years and March still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,534 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,772) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 54.2 inches a year, most in June (7.6") and least in November (1.9"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 4.3 | 96% | 6 | 156 |
| Feb | 67 | 44 | 3.2 | 84% | 3 | 195 |
| Mar | 73 | 49 | 4.3 | 51% | 1 | 351 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 3.6 | 3% | 0 | 499 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 7.6 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 7.2 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 799 |
| Oct | 79 | 59 | 2.5 | 1% | 0 | 590 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 1.9 | 52% | 1 | 321 |
| Dec | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 88% | 4 | 204 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lake City 2 E, FL (195 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, White Springs 7N, FL, 22 miles northwest of Lake City, has a last frost 5 days earlier (February 24), a first frost 9 days later (December 7), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Lake City, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lake City 2 E, FL, 2.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32025
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 28 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 32025 is 3 miles from Lake City 2 E, FL, which stands at 195 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32025 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.