USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32062 — Mc Alpin, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Live Oak, FL (120 ft), 11 miles north.
Updated
In Mc Alpin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 20 in half of years and has passed by March 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 292 days (NOAA, Live Oak, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 20
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 292 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 Mc Alpin
Half of springs at Live Oak, FL see their last 32°F night by February 20; only one in ten is past it by January 20, and one in ten still has one after March 19. Planting tender crops after March 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 10 20%, and after March 19 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 58% 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 6 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past January 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 23 days later, around December 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 3, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 292 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 330 days one year in ten and falls short of 257 one year in ten. On average 19 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 21 days longer, to about March 13, and return around November 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 50% of winters and 16°F in 1%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 19 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 |
| 28°F87% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Live Oak, 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 32062 →Compare Mc Alpin with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Alpin
July is the warmest month at Live Oak, FL, averaging 94°F by day and 74°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 64% of years and March still brings one in 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,858 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 158 Florida stations. 44% of them (3,426) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,048. Precipitation totals 51.8 inches a year, most in June (6.8") and least in November (2.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 45 | 4.8 | 86% | 7 | 242 |
| Feb | 72 | 48 | 3.5 | 64% | 4 | 291 |
| Mar | 78 | 52 | 5.0 | 33% | 1 | 466 |
| Apr | 84 | 58 | 3.5 | 2% | <1 | 617 |
| May | 90 | 65 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 963 |
| Jul | 94 | 74 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 1048 |
| Aug | 93 | 74 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 1037 |
| Sep | 90 | 71 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Oct | 84 | 62 | 4.0 | 1% | 0 | 710 |
| Nov | 76 | 52 | 2.1 | 33% | 2 | 428 |
| Dec | 70 | 47 | 2.5 | 71% | 5 | 297 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Live Oak, FL (120 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, Mayo, FL, 12 miles west of Mc Alpin, has a last frost 16 days later (March 8), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 25), a season 28 days shorter.
When it snows in Mc Alpin, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Live Oak, FL, 10.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32062
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 12 – December 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 26 – January 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 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 32062 is 11 miles from Live Oak, FL, which stands at 120 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32060 (Live Oak). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32062 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.