USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 33868 — Polk City, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL (146 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Polk City: a night at or below 32°F came in 33% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 76%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 33%
- Winters with 36°F
- 76%
- Coldest month low
- 52°F
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, January
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Polk City
At Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL, 9 miles southeast of Polk City, 33% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, 10% reached 28°F. Nights of 36°F, enough for frost on exposed leaves, are more common (76% of winters) and, when they come, fall between about January 8 and January 25. January is the month most likely to bring one: a 24% chance in a given year. 56 of the 158 other Florida stations behind this site's ZIP pages freeze in fewer than half of winters too.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F76% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 24 |
| 32°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F76% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 |
| 32°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F10% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, 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 33868 →Compare Polk City with another place →
Weather by month in Polk City
July is the warmest month at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL, averaging 93°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 73°F and 52°F. From February to December the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 9,002 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 158 Florida stations. 45% of them (4,022) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,059. Precipitation totals 46.1 inches a year, most in June (7.4") and least in November (1.5"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73 | 52 | 2.5 | 24% | 1 | 389 |
| Feb | 76 | 55 | 2.4 | 7% | <1 | 425 |
| Mar | 80 | 59 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Apr | 85 | 63 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| May | 90 | 69 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Jun | 92 | 74 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Jul | 93 | 75 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 1059 |
| Aug | 93 | 76 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 1059 |
| Sep | 91 | 74 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 974 |
| Oct | 86 | 68 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 839 |
| Nov | 80 | 60 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Dec | 74 | 55 | 2.7 | 7% | <1 | 458 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL (146 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, Winter Haven, FL, 13 miles southeast of Polk City, has a 32°F night in 38% of winters against 33% here, and the same coolest-month low, 52°F.
When it snows in Polk City, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Winter Haven, FL, 12.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 33868 is 9 miles from Winter Haven Gilbert Airport, FL, which stands at 146 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 33844 (Haines City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 33868 in zone 10a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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.