USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 32433 — Defuniak Springs, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL (245 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Defuniak Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 275 days (NOAA, De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 28
- Growing season
- 275 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Defuniak Springs
Half of springs at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by February 3, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 22 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 28 in half of years, as early as November 8 one year in ten, and holds off past December 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around December 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 275 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 311 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 26 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 17 days longer, to about March 17, and return around November 15. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 17%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 32°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F47% 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 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 26 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F47% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at De Funiak Springs 1 E, 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 32433 →Compare Defuniak Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Defuniak Springs
July is the warmest month at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°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 83% of years and March still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,671 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,815) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,003. Precipitation totals 64.7 inches a year, most in July (7.5") and least in October (3.6"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 40 | 5.0 | 94% | 10 | 133 |
| Feb | 66 | 43 | 5.1 | 83% | 5 | 172 |
| Mar | 73 | 48 | 5.2 | 49% | 2 | 336 |
| Apr | 79 | 54 | 4.3 | 2% | <1 | 500 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 767 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 1003 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 978 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 3.6 | 1% | 0 | 589 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 4.4 | 55% | 2 | 287 |
| Dec | 64 | 42 | 5.5 | 87% | 7 | 165 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL (245 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, New Hope, FL, 21 miles northeast of Defuniak Springs, has a last frost 10 days later (March 10), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 20), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Defuniak Springs, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, 3.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32433
| 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 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 28 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 32433 is 4 miles from De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, which stands at 245 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32433 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.