USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32608 — Gainesville, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gainesville 11 WNW, FL (95 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Gainesville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 4 in half of years and has passed by March 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 4, as early as November 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 274 days (NOAA, Gainesville 11 WNW, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 4
- First fall frost
- December 4
- Growing season
- 274 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 11 WNW, FL see their last 32°F night by March 4; only one in ten is past it by February 3, and one in ten still has one after March 26. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 26 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 December 4 in half of years, as early as November 10 one year in ten, and holds off past January 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 274 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 309 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 20 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 16 days longer, to about March 20, and return around November 20. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 77% of winters and 16°F in 12%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 3 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 32°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 6 |
| 28°F97% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F77% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 11 |
| 20°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gainesville 11 WNW, 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 32608 →Compare Gainesville with another place →
Weather by month in Gainesville
July is the warmest month at Gainesville 11 WNW, FL, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 67°F and 43°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 82% of years and March still brings one in 56% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,263 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,110) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 43 | 90% | 6 | 212 |
| Feb | 71 | 45 | 82% | 4 | 244 |
| Mar | 77 | 50 | 56% | 2 | 416 |
| Apr | 82 | 55 | 3% | <1 | 558 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 898 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 961 |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Oct | 83 | 60 | 2% | 0 | 669 |
| Nov | 76 | 51 | 38% | 2 | 416 |
| Dec | 69 | 46 | 71% | 5 | 271 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gainesville 11 WNW, FL (95 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 Regional Airport, FL, 9 miles northeast of Gainesville, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 3), a first frost 2 days earlier (December 2), a season 3 days longer.
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, 9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32608
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 24 – January 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 4 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 32608 is 8 miles from Gainesville 11 WNW, FL, which stands at 95 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32608 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.