USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 32456 — Port St Joe, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Apalachicola Airport, FL (19 ft), 19 miles southeast.
Updated
In Port St Joe, 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 18, as early as November 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 307 days (NOAA, Apalachicola Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 15
- First fall frost
- December 18
- Growing season
- 307 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Port St Joe
Half of springs at Apalachicola Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by February 15; only one in ten is past it by January 17, 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 5 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 21 one year in ten, and holds off past January 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around January 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 307 days in a typical year, longer than at 51% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 340 days one year in ten and falls short of 273 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 16 days longer, to about March 3, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 40% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F79% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 28 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 |
| 28°F79% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 24°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Apalachicola 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 32456 →Compare Port St Joe with another place →
Weather by month in Port St Joe
July is the warmest month at Apalachicola Airport, FL, averaging 90°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 63% of years and March still brings one in 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,119 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,973) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 998. Precipitation totals 53.1 inches a year, most in August (7.8") and least in May (1.9"); 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 | 44 | 4.1 | 81% | 5 | 185 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.2 | 63% | 2 | 214 |
| Mar | 71 | 53 | 4.3 | 28% | <1 | 367 |
| Apr | 76 | 58 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 518 |
| May | 84 | 66 | 1.9 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Aug | 89 | 75 | 7.8 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Sep | 87 | 72 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Oct | 81 | 62 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 667 |
| Nov | 73 | 52 | 3.7 | 20% | <1 | 369 |
| Dec | 66 | 47 | 3.6 | 55% | 2 | 240 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Apalachicola Airport, FL (19 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, Apalachicola Airport, FL, 20 miles southeast of Port St Joe, has a last frost 5 days later (February 20), a first frost 5 days earlier (December 13), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Port St Joe, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Apalachicola Airport, FL, 20.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32456
| 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 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 18 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 32456 is 19 miles from Apalachicola Airport, FL, which stands at 19 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32456 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.