USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32424 — Blountstown, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wewahitchka, FL (42 ft), 22 miles south.
Updated
In Blountstown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 29, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 271 days (NOAA, Wewahitchka, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 29
- Growing season
- 271 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 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Blountstown
Half of springs at Wewahitchka, FL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 4, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 20 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 101 Florida stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 29 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 10, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 271 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 306 days one year in ten and falls short of 244 one year in ten. On average 23 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 14 days longer, to about March 15, and return around November 15. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 77% of winters and 16°F in 11%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 29 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wewahitchka, 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 32424 →Compare Blountstown with another place →
Weather by month in Blountstown
July is the warmest month at Wewahitchka, FL, averaging 89°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 85% of years and March still brings one in 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,493 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,736) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 947. Precipitation totals 63.0 inches a year, most in July (8.2") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 40 | 4.8 | 94% | 10 | 140 |
| Feb | 67 | 43 | 4.9 | 85% | 4 | 179 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 5.3 | 52% | 1 | 338 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 487 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 8.2 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Aug | 89 | 72 | 7.9 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 86 | 68 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 810 |
| Oct | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 3% | <1 | 581 |
| Nov | 72 | 47 | 3.8 | 52% | 2 | 298 |
| Dec | 65 | 42 | 4.2 | 82% | 5 | 180 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wewahitchka, FL (42 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, Marianna Municipal Airport, FL, 29 miles north of Blountstown, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (November 27), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Blountstown, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wewahitchka, FL, 22.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32424
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 29 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 32424 is 22 miles from Wewahitchka, FL, which stands at 42 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 32465 (Wewahitchka). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32424 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.