USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71730 — El Dorado, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR (252 ft), 10 miles west.
Updated
In El Dorado, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 36%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in El Dorado
Half of springs at El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 65% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, longer than at 64% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 53 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 12 days longer, to about April 5, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, 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 71730 →Compare El Dorado with another place →
Weather by month in El Dorado
July is the warmest month at El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR, averaging 94°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 87% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,854 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 41% of them (2,373) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,006. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in December (5.6") and least in September (3.2"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 4.4 | 100% | 16 | 62 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 4.5 | 99% | 11 | 92 |
| Mar | 69 | 44 | 5.1 | 87% | 4 | 241 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 5.4 | 29% | 1 | 420 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Jul | 94 | 71 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 987 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 4.6 | 26% | 1 | 456 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 3.8 | 92% | 7 | 178 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 5.6 | 100% | 14 | 81 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR (252 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, Calion L&D, AR, 11 miles northeast of El Dorado and 175 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 18), the same first-frost date, a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in El Dorado, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 28 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Calion L&D, AR, 11.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71730
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 71730 is 10 miles from El Dorado S Ar Regional Airport, AR, which stands at 252 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71730 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.