USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71654 — Mc Gehee, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dermott 3 NE, AR (145 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Mc Gehee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 242 days (NOAA, Dermott 3 NE, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 242 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
- 39%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Gehee
Half of springs at Dermott 3 NE, AR see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 10 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 242 days in a typical year, longer than at 89% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 269 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 47 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 26, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 41%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Feb 1 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dermott 3 NE, 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 71654 →Compare Mc Gehee with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Gehee
July is the warmest month at Dermott 3 NE, AR, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 34°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,601 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,257) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 973. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in April (6.1") and least in August (3.0"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 34 | 5.5 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| Feb | 55 | 37 | 5.4 | 98% | 10 | 69 |
| Mar | 64 | 45 | 5.5 | 77% | 3 | 207 |
| Apr | 73 | 53 | 6.1 | 9% | <1 | 403 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 4.4 | 20% | <1 | 448 |
| Nov | 63 | 43 | 4.5 | 88% | 5 | 167 |
| Dec | 53 | 37 | 6.0 | 99% | 13 | 62 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dermott 3 NE, AR (145 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, Dumas, AR, 20 miles northwest of Mc Gehee, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 12), a first frost 4 days later (November 14), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Mc Gehee, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dermott 3 NE, AR, 4.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71654
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 71654 is 5 miles from Dermott 3 NE, AR, which stands at 145 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71654 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.