USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32583 — Milton, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chactaw Nolf Milton, FL (102 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Milton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 273 days (NOAA, Chactaw Nolf Milton, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 27
- Growing season
- 273 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 Milton
Half of springs at Chactaw Nolf Milton, FL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 16 20%, and after March 23 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 November 27 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 273 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 311 days one year in ten and falls short of 240 one year in ten. On average 23 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 16, and return around November 15. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 70% of winters and 16°F in 6%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F70% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 6 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 31 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 |
| 24°F70% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chactaw Nolf Milton, 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 32583 →Compare Milton with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Whiting Field NAS South, FL, 9 miles north of Milton, has a last frost 1 day earlier (February 28), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Milton, 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, 13.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32583
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 32583 is 6 miles from Chactaw Nolf Milton, FL, which stands at 102 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 32566 (Navarre). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32583 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.