USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32514 — Pensacola, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pensacola 7 NNE, FL (114 ft), 1 miles east.
Updated
In Pensacola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 17 in half of years and has passed by March 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 9, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 299 days (NOAA, Pensacola 7 NNE, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 17
- First fall frost
- December 9
- Growing season
- 299 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 7 NNE, FL see their last 32°F night by February 17; only one in ten is past it by January 20, and one in ten still has one after March 13. Planting tender crops after February 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 5 20%, and after March 13 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 9 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past January 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around January 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 299 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 333 days one year in ten and falls short of 264 one year in ten. On average 13 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 2, and return around November 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 56% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F56% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 |
| 20°F21% 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 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 21 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F56% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F21% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pensacola 7 NNE, 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 32514 →Compare Pensacola with another place →
Weather by month in Pensacola
July is the warmest month at Pensacola 7 NNE, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°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 66% of years and March still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,987 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,966) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,012. Precipitation totals 67.9 inches a year, most in July (8.3") and least in May (3.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 42 | 5.3 | 90% | 6 | 140 |
| Feb | 65 | 46 | 4.8 | 66% | 3 | 194 |
| Mar | 71 | 52 | 5.1 | 27% | <1 | 369 |
| Apr | 77 | 59 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 539 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 7.8 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Jul | 91 | 74 | 8.3 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Aug | 91 | 74 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 1004 |
| Sep | 88 | 71 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Oct | 80 | 60 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Nov | 70 | 50 | 4.2 | 33% | 1 | 307 |
| Dec | 64 | 46 | 5.8 | 64% | 3 | 195 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pensacola 7 NNE, FL (114 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, 4 miles southeast of Pensacola, has a last frost 3 days earlier (February 14), the same first-frost date, a season 2 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, 3.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32514
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 9 – December 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 23 – January 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 17 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 32514 is 1 mile from Pensacola 7 NNE, FL, which stands at 114 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 32514 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.