USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 32033 — Elkton, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hastings 4NE, FL (10 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Elkton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 14 in half of years and has passed by March 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 30, as early as November 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 308 days (NOAA, Hastings 4NE, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 14
- First fall frost
- December 30
- Growing season
- 308 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elkton
Half of springs at Hastings 4NE, FL see their last 32°F night by February 14; only one in ten is past it by January 11, and one in ten still has one after March 17. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 17 10%. The 31 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 91% 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 December 30 in half of years, as early as November 28 one year in ten, and holds off past January 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around January 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 308 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 344 days one year in ten and falls short of 272 one year in ten. On average 10 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 23 days longer, to about March 9, and return around December 5. A 24°F night is unusual: 30% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 7 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 32°F95% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F71% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 32°F95% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 28°F71% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 9 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hastings 4NE, 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 32033 →Compare Elkton with another place →
Weather by month in Elkton
July is the warmest month at Hastings 4NE, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 68°F and 45°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 56% of years and March still brings one in 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,310 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (3,078) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 977. Precipitation totals 56.2 inches a year, most in September (8.4") and least in November (2.4"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 45 | 3.0 | 76% | 5 | 236 |
| Feb | 70 | 47 | 3.0 | 56% | 2 | 264 |
| Mar | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 26% | 1 | 408 |
| Apr | 80 | 56 | 2.8 | 1% | 0 | 542 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 977 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Sep | 87 | 70 | 8.4 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Oct | 82 | 63 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Nov | 75 | 54 | 2.4 | 11% | <1 | 434 |
| Dec | 70 | 48 | 3.0 | 43% | 2 | 299 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hastings 4NE, FL (10 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, Federal Pt, FL, 6 miles west of Elkton, has a last frost 14 days earlier (January 31), a first frost 5 days later (January 4), a season 29 days longer.
When it snows in Elkton, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hastings 4NE, FL, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32033
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 6 – December 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 20 – January 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 30 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 32033 is 2 miles from Hastings 4NE, FL, which stands at 10 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32092 (St Augustine). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32033 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.