USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 32640 — Hawthorne, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Orange Springs 2SSW, FL (50 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Hawthorne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 7, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 284 days (NOAA, Orange Springs 2SSW, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- December 7
- Growing season
- 284 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 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hawthorne
Half of springs at Orange Springs 2SSW, FL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by January 29, and one in ten still has one after March 22. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 22 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 75% 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 7 in half of years, as early as November 16 one year in ten, and holds off past January 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 23 days later, around December 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 12, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 284 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 321 days one year in ten and falls short of 250 one year in ten. On average 17 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 15, and return around November 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 63% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 20 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Jan 29 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F63% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 25 |
| 20°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 |
| 28°F92% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F63% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Orange Springs 2SSW, 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 32640 →Compare Hawthorne with another place →
Weather by month in Hawthorne
August is the warmest month at Orange Springs 2SSW, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 68°F and 41°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 77% of years and March still brings one in 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,096 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 79% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,016) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 956. Precipitation totals 55.2 inches a year, most in August (7.9") and least in November (2.4"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 41 | 3.1 | 91% | 8 | 199 |
| Feb | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 77% | 3 | 232 |
| Mar | 77 | 48 | 3.7 | 50% | 1 | 401 |
| Apr | 82 | 54 | 3.8 | 3% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 770 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 7.2 | 0% | 0 | 866 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 7.9 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Oct | 83 | 60 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Nov | 75 | 51 | 2.4 | 33% | 1 | 390 |
| Dec | 70 | 45 | 2.6 | 70% | 4 | 258 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Orange Springs 2SSW, FL (50 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, 16 miles northwest of Hawthorne, has a last frost 2 days later (March 3), a first frost 5 days earlier (December 2), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Hawthorne, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Orange Springs 2SSW, FL, 9.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32640
| 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 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 7 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 32640 is 9 miles from Orange Springs 2SSW, FL, which stands at 50 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 32148 (Interlachen). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32640 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.