USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32578 — Niceville, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Niceville, FL (60 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Niceville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Niceville, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 253 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Niceville
Half of springs at Niceville, FL see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 14, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 101 Florida stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 19 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 36 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 15 days longer, to about March 27, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 22%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 | Jan 9 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F61% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 |
| 16°F22% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Niceville, 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 32578 →Compare Niceville with another place →
Weather by month in Niceville
July is the warmest month at Niceville, FL, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from January to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,238 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 158 Florida stations. 41% of them (2,528) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 955. Precipitation totals 73.6 inches a year, most in August (9.2") and least in May (3.8"); 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 | 38 | 5.9 | 97% | 13 | 113 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 5.3 | 91% | 8 | 138 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 5.4 | 67% | 3 | 278 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 6.0 | 9% | <1 | 439 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 8.9 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 9.2 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Sep | 87 | 68 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Oct | 80 | 57 | 4.6 | 5% | <1 | 570 |
| Nov | 71 | 45 | 5.0 | 69% | 3 | 261 |
| Dec | 64 | 41 | 5.7 | 89% | 9 | 156 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Niceville, FL (60 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, Destin Fort Walton Airport, FL, 7 miles south of Niceville, has a last frost 35 days earlier (February 5), a first frost 39 days later (December 28), a season 68 days longer.
When it snows in Niceville, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Niceville, FL, 3.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32578
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 32578 is 3 miles from Niceville, FL, which stands at 60 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32578 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.