USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71643 — Gould, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dumas, AR (163 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Gould, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 245 days (NOAA, Dumas, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 245 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gould
Half of springs at Dumas, AR see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 24, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 14 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 245 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 223 one year in ten. On average 42 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 13 days longer, to about March 25, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 44%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F | Feb 3 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F79% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dumas, AR, 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 71643 →Compare Gould with another place →
Weather by month in Gould
July is the warmest month at Dumas, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,829 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 41% of them (2,400) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 987. Precipitation totals 51.2 inches a year, most in April (5.5") and least in September (2.8"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 35 | 4.5 | 99% | 14 | 54 |
| Feb | 58 | 38 | 4.7 | 97% | 10 | 85 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 5.2 | 79% | 3 | 229 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 5.5 | 7% | <1 | 443 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 701 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 754 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 4.4 | 12% | <1 | 468 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 4.2 | 86% | 4 | 185 |
| Dec | 56 | 37 | 5.4 | 99% | 12 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dumas, AR (163 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, Cane Creek Sp, AR, 13 miles southwest of Gould, has a last frost 3 days later (March 15), a first frost 3 days later (November 17), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Gould, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dumas, AR, 8.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71643
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 71643 is 8 miles from Dumas, AR, which stands at 163 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 71639 (Dumas). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71643 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.