USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32601 — Gainesville, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gainesville Regional Airport, FL (123 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Gainesville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 3 in half of years and has passed by March 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 2, as early as November 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 277 days (NOAA, Gainesville Regional Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 3
- First fall frost
- December 2
- 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gainesville
Half of springs at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by March 3; only one in ten is past it by February 1, and one in ten still has one after March 23. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 16 20%, and after March 23 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 December 2 in half of years, as early as November 12 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 23 days later, around December 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 9 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 310 days one year in ten and falls short of 246 one year in ten. On average 15 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 14 days longer, to about March 17, and return around November 19. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 67% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F94% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gainesville 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 32601 →Compare Gainesville with another place →
Weather by month in Gainesville
July is the warmest month at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 67°F and 43°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 56% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,205 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,092) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in June (7.6") and least in November (1.8"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 43 | 3.3 | 91% | 6 | 206 |
| Feb | 71 | 46 | 2.7 | 79% | 3 | 257 |
| Mar | 76 | 50 | 3.5 | 56% | 1 | 402 |
| Apr | 82 | 56 | 2.7 | 2% | 0 | 555 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 7.6 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 2.7 | 1% | 0 | 662 |
| Nov | 75 | 51 | 1.8 | 45% | 1 | 387 |
| Dec | 69 | 45 | 2.9 | 80% | 4 | 261 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL (123 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, Gainesville 11 WNW, FL, 10 miles west of Gainesville, has a last frost 1 day later (March 4), a first frost 2 days later (December 4), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Gainesville, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Gainesville Regional Airport, FL, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32601
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 23 – January 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 6 – January 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 2 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 32601 is 4 miles from Gainesville Regional Airport, FL, which stands at 123 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 32605 (Gainesville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32601 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.