USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32234 — Jacksonville, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, FL (99 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Jacksonville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 280 days (NOAA, Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 280 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 Jacksonville
Half of springs at Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, FL see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 30, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 23 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 December 3 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past January 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 8, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 280 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 320 days one year in ten and falls short of 247 one year in ten. On average 24 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 16 days longer, to about March 16, and return around November 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 60% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 30 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F60% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 |
| 20°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 7 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F60% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 9 |
| 20°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, 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 32234 →Compare Jacksonville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Glen St Mary 1 W, FL, 12 miles west of Jacksonville, has a last frost 8 days later (March 8), a first frost 2 days earlier (December 1), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Jacksonville, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Glen St Mary 1 W, FL, 12.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32234
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 32234 is 10 miles from Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, FL, which stands at 99 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 32221 (Jacksonville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32234 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.