USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32461 — Inlet Beach, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL (57 ft), 11 miles northeast.
Updated
In Inlet Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 25 in half of years and has passed by March 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 1, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 280 days (NOAA, NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 25
- First fall frost
- December 1
- Growing season
- 280 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 Inlet Beach
Half of springs at NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by February 25; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 19. Planting tender crops after March 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 19 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 December 1 in half of years, as early as November 11 one year in ten, and holds off past January 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 280 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 318 days one year in ten and falls short of 248 one year in ten. On average 14 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 14, and return around November 18. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 62% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F62% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 24 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Jan 2 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 25 |
| 24°F62% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at NW Florida Beaches International 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 32461 →Compare Inlet Beach with another place →
Weather by month in Inlet Beach
July is the warmest month at NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 78% of years and March still brings one in 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,879 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,877) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 997.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 42 | 89% | 6 | 162 |
| Feb | 67 | 45 | 78% | 2 | 199 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 42% | 1 | 347 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| May | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 0% | 0 | 997 |
| Aug | 90 | 74 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Sep | 88 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Oct | 81 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Nov | 73 | 48 | 48% | 2 | 333 |
| Dec | 66 | 44 | 78% | 3 | 197 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL (57 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, Panama City Bay Co Airport, FL, 16 miles east of Inlet Beach, has a last frost 18 days earlier (February 7), a first frost 23 days later (December 24), a season 38 days longer.
When it snows in Inlet Beach, 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, 16.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32461
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 17 – December 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 31 – January 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 1 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 32461 is 11 miles from NW Florida Beaches International Airport, FL, which stands at 57 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 32413 (Panama City Beach). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32461 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.