USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 34604 — Brooksville, Florida
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL (77 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Brooksville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 5, as early as November 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 281 days (NOAA, Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- 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 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Brooksville
Half of springs at Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by January 30, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 27 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% 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 11 one year in ten, and holds off past January 6 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 12, 15 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 317 days one year in ten and falls short of 244 one year in ten. On average 14 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 17, and return around November 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 64% of winters and 16°F in 6%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Jan 30 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F64% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 21 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
| 24°F64% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
| 20°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F6% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brooksville Hernando Co 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 34604 →Compare Brooksville with another place →
Weather by month in Brooksville
August is the warmest month at Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL, averaging 91°F by day and 72°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 76% of years and March still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,646 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 158 Florida stations. 43% of them (3,291) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 977. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in July (9.4") and least in November (1.6"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 44 | 3.0 | 88% | 5 | 271 |
| Feb | 74 | 48 | 2.6 | 76% | 3 | 310 |
| Mar | 78 | 51 | 2.7 | 49% | 1 | 445 |
| Apr | 83 | 56 | 2.2 | 6% | <1 | 578 |
| May | 88 | 63 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 7.9 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 9.4 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 8.1 | 0% | 0 | 977 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Oct | 85 | 62 | 2.8 | 2% | <1 | 716 |
| Nov | 78 | 52 | 1.6 | 38% | 1 | 456 |
| Dec | 73 | 48 | 2.6 | 74% | 3 | 343 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL (77 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, Weeki Wachee, FL, 8 miles west of Brooksville, has a last frost 24 days earlier (February 5), a first frost 27 days later (January 1), a season 41 days longer.
When it snows in Brooksville, Florida
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Weeki Wachee, FL, 7.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 34604
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 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 34604 is under a mile from Brooksville Hernando Co Airport, FL, which stands at 77 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 34609 (Spring Hill). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 34604 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.