USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 33514 — Center Hill, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bushnell 1 E, FL (80 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Center Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 5, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 281 days (NOAA, Bushnell 1 E, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- December 5
- Growing season
- 281 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Center Hill
Half of springs at Bushnell 1 E, FL see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 25. Planting tender crops after March 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 25 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 60% 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 5 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past January 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 281 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 316 days one year in ten and falls short of 248 one year in ten. On average 8 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 18, and return around November 22. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 65% of winters and 16°F in 3%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F65% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 8 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 |
| 24°F65% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 12 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bushnell 1 E, 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 33514 →Compare Center Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Center Hill
August is the warmest month at Bushnell 1 E, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 69°F and 43°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 75% of years and March still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,261 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,116) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 942.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69 | 43 | 91% | 4 | 231 |
| Feb | 73 | 46 | 75% | 2 | 278 |
| Mar | 77 | 49 | 51% | 1 | 411 |
| Apr | 82 | 55 | 4% | 0 | 563 |
| May | 88 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 942 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Oct | 84 | 60 | 1% | 0 | 685 |
| Nov | 77 | 51 | 36% | 1 | 425 |
| Dec | 72 | 46 | 75% | 2 | 298 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bushnell 1 E, FL (80 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, Leesburg Municipal Airport, FL, 16 miles northeast of Center Hill, has a last frost 35 days earlier (January 26), a first frost 35 days later (January 9), a season 65 days longer.
When it snows in Center Hill, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bushnell 1 E, FL, 6.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 33514
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 5 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 33514 is 7 miles from Bushnell 1 E, FL, which stands at 80 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 34785 (Wildwood). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 33514 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.