USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 32779 — Longwood, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL (90 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Longwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 24 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 29, as early as November 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 301 days (NOAA, Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 24
- First fall frost
- December 29
- Growing season
- 301 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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 Longwood
Half of springs at Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL see their last 32°F night by February 24; only one in ten is past it by January 22, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 20 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% 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 29 in half of years, as early as November 29 one year in ten, and holds off past January 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around January 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 6, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 301 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 335 days one year in ten and falls short of 266 one year in ten. On average 13 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 12, and return around December 7. A 24°F night is unusual: 42% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F80% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 6 |
| 24°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 11 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 |
| 28°F80% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 |
| 24°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F12% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mt Plymouth 1SSW, 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 32779 →Compare Longwood with another place →
Weather by month in Longwood
July is the warmest month at Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL, averaging 93°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 71°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 66% of years and March still brings one in 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,857 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,361) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,015. Precipitation totals 54.2 inches a year, most in August (8.5") and least in November (2.0"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 44 | 2.8 | 81% | 5 | 273 |
| Feb | 74 | 47 | 2.5 | 66% | 4 | 313 |
| Mar | 79 | 50 | 3.2 | 40% | 1 | 450 |
| Apr | 83 | 56 | 2.7 | 1% | <1 | 593 |
| May | 89 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 8.3 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 8.5 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Oct | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | <1 | 727 |
| Nov | 78 | 55 | 2.0 | 10% | 1 | 492 |
| Dec | 73 | 49 | 2.5 | 48% | 1 | 349 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL (90 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, Sanford, FL, 11 miles northeast of Longwood, has a last frost 29 days earlier (January 26), a first frost 14 days later (January 12), a season 58 days longer.
When it snows in Longwood, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sanford, FL, 11.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 32779
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 16 – December 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 30 – January 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 29 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 32779 is 10 miles from Mt Plymouth 1SSW, FL, which stands at 90 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 32703 (Apopka). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 32779 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°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.