USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32501 — Pensacola, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pensacola Regional Airport, FL (112 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Pensacola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 14 in half of years and has passed by March 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 9, as early as November 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 301 days (NOAA, Pensacola Regional Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 14
- First fall frost
- December 9
- Growing season
- 301 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pensacola
Half of springs at Pensacola Regional Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by February 14; only one in ten is past it by January 21, and one in ten still has one after March 11. Planting tender crops after February 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 4 20%, and after March 11 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 49% 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 9 in half of years, as early as November 17 one year in ten, and holds off past January 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 23 days later, around January 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 301 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 336 days one year in ten and falls short of 266 one year in ten. On average 11 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 2, and return around November 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 54% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F54% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 11 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 31 |
| 24°F54% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F18% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pensacola Regional 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 32501 →Compare Pensacola with another place →
Weather by month in Pensacola
July is the warmest month at Pensacola Regional Airport, FL, averaging 92°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°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 67% of years and March still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,282 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 71% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (3,090) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,037. Precipitation totals 68.3 inches a year, most in July (7.9") and least in May (3.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 44 | 5.0 | 86% | 5 | 173 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.8 | 67% | 2 | 220 |
| Mar | 72 | 53 | 5.3 | 25% | 1 | 390 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Jun | 90 | 74 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 7.9 | 0% | 0 | 1037 |
| Aug | 91 | 75 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 1023 |
| Sep | 89 | 72 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Oct | 81 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.4 | 28% | 1 | 352 |
| Dec | 65 | 46 | 5.4 | 67% | 3 | 217 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pensacola Regional Airport, FL (112 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, Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL, 7 miles southwest of Pensacola, has a last frost 14 days later (February 28), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 29), a season 24 days shorter.
When it snows in Pensacola, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pensacola Regional Airport, FL, 4.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32501
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 6 – December 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 20 – January 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 17 – January 31 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 14 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 9 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 32501 is 5 miles from Pensacola Regional Airport, FL, which stands at 112 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32526 (Pensacola). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32501 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.