USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32615 — Alachua, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from High Springs, FL (65 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Alachua, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by April 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 22, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, High Springs, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 22
- Growing season
- 255 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 Alachua
Half of springs at High Springs, FL see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 16, and one in ten still has one after April 2. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after April 2 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 November 22 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 289 days one year in ten and falls short of 224 one year in ten. On average 27 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 28, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 90% of winters and 16°F in 24%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 4 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 26 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 20°F62% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 24 |
| 16°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F90% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F62% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 | Feb 12 |
| 16°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at High Springs, 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 32615 →Compare Alachua with another place →
Weather by month in Alachua
July is the warmest month at High Springs, FL, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 67°F and 40°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 73% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,879 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 158 Florida stations. 42% of them (2,914) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 964. Precipitation totals 51.7 inches a year, most in August (7.2") and least in November (2.2"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67 | 40 | 3.7 | 96% | 9 | 174 |
| Feb | 70 | 42 | 3.1 | 91% | 5 | 201 |
| Mar | 76 | 47 | 3.9 | 73% | 2 | 363 |
| Apr | 82 | 52 | 2.8 | 12% | 0 | 517 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 3.4 | 1% | <1 | 770 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 889 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 7.2 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Oct | 82 | 58 | 3.5 | 5% | 0 | 619 |
| Nov | 75 | 48 | 2.2 | 64% | 3 | 360 |
| Dec | 69 | 42 | 2.6 | 93% | 7 | 219 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at High Springs, FL (65 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, 8 miles south of Alachua, has a last frost 9 days earlier (March 4), a first frost 12 days later (December 4), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in Alachua, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at High Springs, FL, 6.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32615
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 22 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 32615 is 7 miles from High Springs, FL, which stands at 65 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 32615 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.