USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32508 — Pensacola, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL (28 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Pensacola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 29, as early as November 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 277 days (NOAA, Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 29
- Growing season
- 277 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 Forest Sherman NAS, FL see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 20 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% of the 101 Florida stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 29 in half of years, as early as November 8 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 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 277 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 313 days one year in ten and falls short of 246 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 13 days longer, to about March 13, and return around November 15. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 70% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F70% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 23 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 5 |
| 32°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Jan 2 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 22 |
| 24°F70% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 14 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, 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 32508 →Compare Pensacola with another place →
Weather by month in Pensacola
July is the warmest month at Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL, averaging 89°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 42°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 79% of years and March still brings one in 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,619 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 158 Florida stations. 41% of them (2,729) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 980. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in September (6.8") and least in May (3.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 42 | 4.5 | 90% | 6 | 141 |
| Feb | 64 | 45 | 4.0 | 79% | 3 | 171 |
| Mar | 69 | 50 | 3.9 | 46% | 1 | 318 |
| Apr | 75 | 57 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 481 |
| May | 82 | 65 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jun | 87 | 72 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 886 |
| Jul | 89 | 74 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 980 |
| Aug | 89 | 73 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 841 |
| Oct | 79 | 60 | 4.3 | 3% | 0 | 604 |
| Nov | 70 | 49 | 3.8 | 50% | 2 | 309 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 3.9 | 74% | 3 | 189 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL (28 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 Regional Airport, FL, 10 miles northeast of Pensacola, has a last frost 14 days earlier (February 14), a first frost 10 days later (December 9), a season 24 days longer.
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, 10.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32508
| 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 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 29 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 32508 is 2 miles from Pensacola Forest Sherman NAS, FL, which stands at 28 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32506 (Pensacola). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32508 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.