USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 34473 — Ocala, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ocala, FL (75 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Ocala, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 25 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 12, as early as November 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 293 days (NOAA, Ocala, FL).
- Last spring frost
- February 25
- First fall frost
- December 12
- Growing season
- 293 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ocala
Half of springs at Ocala, FL see their last 32°F night by February 25; only one in ten is past it by January 24, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 12 20%, and after March 21 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 21 one year in ten, and holds off past January 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around January 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 7, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 293 days in a typical year, shorter than at 56% of the 102 Florida stations; it reaches 332 days one year in ten and falls short of 258 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 15 days longer, to about March 12, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 46% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 7 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 28°F86% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 7 |
| 24°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ocala, 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 34473 →Compare Ocala with another place →
Weather by month in Ocala
July is the warmest month at Ocala, FL, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 71°F and 46°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 71% of years and March still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,848 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 158 Florida stations. 44% of them (3,436) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 51.6 inches a year, most in June (7.4") and least in November (2.1"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 46 | 3.4 | 86% | 3 | 279 |
| Feb | 74 | 48 | 2.9 | 71% | 2 | 319 |
| Mar | 79 | 52 | 3.7 | 39% | <1 | 479 |
| Apr | 84 | 57 | 2.2 | 1% | 0 | 620 |
| May | 89 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 818 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 994 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Oct | 84 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Nov | 77 | 54 | 2.1 | 24% | <1 | 463 |
| Dec | 72 | 48 | 2.7 | 63% | 2 | 335 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ocala, FL (75 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, Inverness 3 SE, FL, 16 miles southwest of Ocala, has a last frost 6 days later (March 3), a first frost 7 days earlier (December 5), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Ocala, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Ocala, FL, 13 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 34473
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 17 – December 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 31 – January 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 12 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 34473 is 13 miles from Ocala, FL, which stands at 75 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 16 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 34472 (Ocala). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 34473 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.