USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71854 — Texarkana, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Texarkana Webb Field, AR (361 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Texarkana, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 246 days (NOAA, Texarkana Webb Field, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 13
- 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Texarkana
Half of springs at Texarkana Webb Field, 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 April 3. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 27 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 16 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 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 37 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 16 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 43%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Texarkana Webb Field, 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 71854 →Compare Texarkana with another place →
Weather by month in Texarkana
July is the warmest month at Texarkana Webb Field, AR, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 35°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 78% of years and April still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,811 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,325) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,007. Precipitation totals 48.9 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in August (3.0"); 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 | 35 | 3.6 | 100% | 12 | 58 |
| Feb | 58 | 38 | 4.3 | 97% | 8 | 89 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 4.5 | 78% | 2 | 229 |
| Apr | 75 | 53 | 4.4 | 13% | <1 | 413 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 867 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 993 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 4.5 | 9% | 0 | 464 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 3.9 | 83% | 4 | 183 |
| Dec | 56 | 37 | 4.7 | 100% | 10 | 75 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Texarkana Webb Field, AR (361 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, Texarkana, TX, 5 miles west of Texarkana, has a last frost 2 days later (March 15), a first frost 4 days later (November 17), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Texarkana, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wright Patman Dm & Lk, TX, 12.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71854
| 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 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 71854 is 2 miles from Texarkana Webb Field, AR, which stands at 361 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 71854 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.