USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32431 — Cottondale, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chipley, FL (130 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Cottondale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 5 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 263 days (NOAA, Chipley, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 5
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 263 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 Cottondale
Half of springs at Chipley, FL see their last 32°F night by March 5; only one in ten is past it by February 7, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 20 20%, and after March 27 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% 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 November 21 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 263 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 298 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 31 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 21, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 86% of winters and 16°F in 17%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 27 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F86% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 29 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F86% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chipley, 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 32431 →Compare Cottondale with another place →
Weather by month in Cottondale
July is the warmest month at Chipley, FL, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 39°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 87% of years and March still brings one in 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,760 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,848) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,011. Precipitation totals 61.0 inches a year, most in July (7.2") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 39 | 5.1 | 93% | 11 | 139 |
| Feb | 67 | 41 | 5.5 | 87% | 6 | 172 |
| Mar | 74 | 47 | 5.7 | 57% | 2 | 345 |
| Apr | 80 | 53 | 4.9 | 4% | 0 | 505 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Jun | 92 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 7.2 | 0% | 0 | 1011 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 997 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Oct | 82 | 56 | 3.7 | 4% | <1 | 592 |
| Nov | 72 | 46 | 4.3 | 65% | 3 | 291 |
| Dec | 66 | 41 | 4.8 | 85% | 9 | 177 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chipley, FL (130 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, 13 miles east of Cottondale, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 6 days later (November 27), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Cottondale, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Chipley, FL, 9.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32431
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 25 – January 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 32431 is 9 miles from Chipley, FL, which stands at 130 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 32428 (Chipley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32431 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.