USDA Hardiness Zone 11a
Frost Dates for 33312 — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Averages from Loxahatchee Nwr, Fl US, the nearest reporting station, 28 miles away.
Plant tender crops after January 22, and expect the first autumn freeze around January 17. That leaves about 365 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- January 22
- First fall frost
- January 17
- Growing season
- 365 days
- Hardiness zone
- 11a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
40 to 45°F annual low
Planting calendar for 33312
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 13 – November 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| November 27 – December 11 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by October 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by January 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| January 17 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after January 22 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are past their last freeze. Harvest before January 17, which leaves roughly 365 frost-free days.
ZIP 33312 sits in USDA hardiness zone 11a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 40 to 45°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.