USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 32401 — Panama City, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL (21 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Panama City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 7 in half of years and has passed by March 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 24, as early as November 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 318 days (NOAA, Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 7
- First fall frost
- December 24
- Growing season
- 318 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 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Panama City
Half of springs at Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by February 7; only one in ten is past it by January 5, and one in ten still has one after March 5. Planting tender crops after February 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 27 20%, and after March 5 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% 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 24 in half of years, as early as November 23 one year in ten, and holds off past January 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around January 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 22, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 318 days in a typical year, longer than at 56% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 353 days one year in ten and falls short of 282 one year in ten. On average 9 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 18 days longer, to about February 25, and return around December 1. A 24°F night is unusual: 30% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 28°F70% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 22 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 28°F70% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 |
| 24°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Panama City Bay Co Airport, 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 32401 →Compare Panama City with another place →
Weather by month in Panama City
July is the warmest month at Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 76°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°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 49% of years and March still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,344 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,121) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,031.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 45 | 70% | 5 | 192 |
| Feb | 67 | 48 | 49% | 1 | 230 |
| Mar | 72 | 53 | 16% | <1 | 395 |
| Apr | 77 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Jun | 89 | 74 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Jul | 91 | 76 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Oct | 82 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 680 |
| Nov | 72 | 52 | 16% | <1 | 366 |
| Dec | 66 | 47 | 50% | 2 | 234 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL (21 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, Panama City 5N, FL, 6 miles north of Panama City, has a last frost 8 days later (February 15), a first frost 12 days earlier (December 12), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Panama City, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Panama City 5N, FL, 6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32401
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 29 – December 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 13 – December 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 10 – January 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 24 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 32401 is 4 miles from Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL, which stands at 21 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 32405 (Panama City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32401 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.