USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71753 — Magnolia, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Magnolia, AR (372 ft), 1 miles northeast.
Updated
In Magnolia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, Magnolia, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 218 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
- January 27
- Last snow
- February 2
- Winters with snow
- 60%
- Snow per year
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Magnolia
Half of springs at Magnolia, AR see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 17 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 2 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 196 one year in ten. On average 58 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 10 days longer, to about April 10, and return around October 25. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Magnolia, 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 71753 →Compare Magnolia with another place →
Weather by month in Magnolia
July is the warmest month at Magnolia, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,427 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (2,138) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959. Precipitation totals 56.3 inches a year, most in March (6.6") and least in July (3.3"); May to September bring 35% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 | 4.5 | 100% | 18 | 48 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 4.7 | 99% | 13 | 69 |
| Mar | 68 | 41 | 6.6 | 93% | 5 | 200 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 5.4 | 46% | 1 | 366 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 948 |
| Sep | 87 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Oct | 77 | 50 | 5.0 | 43% | 1 | 424 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.7 | 97% | 6 | 162 |
| Dec | 57 | 33 | 5.6 | 100% | 15 | 62 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Magnolia, AR (372 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, Lewisville, AR, 22 miles west of Magnolia, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 10 days later (November 12), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Magnolia, Arkansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Magnolia usually arrives around January 27, and the last of the season around February 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Magnolia, AR, 1.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 60% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 57 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 71753
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 71753 is 1 mile from Magnolia, AR, which stands at 372 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 71753 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.