USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 71846 — Lockesburg, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dequeen, AR (407 ft), 13 miles northwest.
Updated
In Lockesburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Dequeen, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 222 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 48%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lockesburg
Half of springs at Dequeen, AR see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 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 5 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 68 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 10, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 75%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dequeen, 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 71846 →Compare Lockesburg with another place →
Weather by month in Lockesburg
July is the warmest month at Dequeen, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 30°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 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,290 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 38% of them (2,017) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 967. Precipitation totals 55.1 inches a year, most in May (6.3") and least in August (3.3"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 30 | 4.1 | 100% | 20 | 29 |
| Feb | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 15 | 54 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 5.0 | 91% | 7 | 172 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 5.9 | 43% | 1 | 337 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 822 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 4.7 | 31% | 1 | 414 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.4 | 95% | 8 | 140 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.3 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dequeen, AR (407 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, Nashville, AR, 17 miles east of Lockesburg, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 4 days later (November 9), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Lockesburg, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Newhope 6 S, AR, 19.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71846
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 71846 is 13 miles from Dequeen, AR, which stands at 407 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 71832 (De Queen). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71846 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.