USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32409 — Panama City, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Panama City 5N, FL (5 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Panama City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 15 in half of years and has passed by March 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 12, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 301 days (NOAA, Panama City 5N, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 15
- First fall frost
- December 12
- Growing season
- 301 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 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Panama City
Half of springs at Panama City 5N, FL see their last 32°F night by February 15; only one in ten is past it by January 13, and one in ten still has one after March 11. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 3 20%, and after March 11 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 16 one year in ten, and holds off past January 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around January 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 301 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 335 days one year in ten and falls short of 263 one year in ten. On average 17 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 15 days longer, to about March 2, and return around November 25. A 24°F night is unusual: 49% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% 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 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 18 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 |
| 28°F84% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Panama City 5N, 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 32409 →Compare Panama City with another place →
Weather by month in Panama City
July is the warmest month at Panama City 5N, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 43°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,249 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (3,047) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,025. Precipitation totals 61.3 inches a year, most in July (7.4") and least in May (3.3"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 43 | 4.8 | 83% | 8 | 177 |
| Feb | 67 | 46 | 5.0 | 64% | 3 | 215 |
| Mar | 73 | 52 | 5.0 | 26% | 1 | 385 |
| Apr | 79 | 58 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 1025 |
| Aug | 91 | 75 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 1017 |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Nov | 73 | 50 | 3.7 | 26% | 1 | 360 |
| Dec | 67 | 45 | 4.3 | 65% | 4 | 227 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Panama City 5N, FL (5 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, NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL, 8 miles west of Panama City, has a last frost 10 days later (February 25), a first frost 11 days earlier (December 1), a season 21 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, 5.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32409
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 7 – December 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 21 – January 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 12 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 32409 is 6 miles from Panama City 5N, FL, which stands at 5 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 32404 (Panama City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32409 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.