USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71667 — Star City, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cane Creek Sp, AR (260 ft), 5 miles southeast.
Updated
In Star City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 246 days (NOAA, Cane Creek Sp, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 246 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 Star City
Half of springs at Cane Creek Sp, AR see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 17 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 23, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 246 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 272 days one year in ten and falls short of 218 one year in ten. On average 48 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 14 days longer, to about March 29, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 50%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 23 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cane Creek Sp, 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 71667 →Compare Star City with another place →
Weather by month in Star City
July is the warmest month at Cane Creek Sp, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 82% of years and April still brings one in 14% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,745 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,294) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,003. Precipitation totals 56.4 inches a year, most in April (6.0") and least in September (3.2"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.7 | 100% | 16 | 47 |
| Feb | 57 | 37 | 4.9 | 99% | 11 | 83 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 5.8 | 82% | 3 | 214 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 6.0 | 14% | <1 | 405 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 1003 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 983 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 771 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 4.7 | 8% | 0 | 451 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.9 | 78% | 4 | 177 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 6.0 | 99% | 13 | 66 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cane Creek Sp, AR (260 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, 18 miles east of Star City, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 12), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 14), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Star City, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dumas, AR, 18.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71667
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 71667 is 5 miles from Cane Creek Sp, AR, which stands at 260 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71667 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.