USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71861 — Taylor, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lewisville, AR (340 ft), 18 miles north.
Updated
In Taylor, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Lewisville, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 238 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
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Taylor
Half of springs at Lewisville, AR see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 6 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 265 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 57 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 April 2, and return around November 2. 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 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 19 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lewisville, 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 71861 →Compare Taylor with another place →
Weather by month in Taylor
July is the warmest month at Lewisville, AR, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 86% of years and April still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,760 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,282) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 992. Precipitation totals 53.0 inches a year, most in December (5.1") and least in August (3.3"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 54 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 4.8 | 99% | 12 | 86 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 4.9 | 86% | 5 | 225 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 4.9 | 22% | 1 | 401 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 861 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Sep | 89 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 4.6 | 16% | 1 | 465 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.2 | 86% | 6 | 177 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 5.1 | 100% | 15 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lewisville, AR (340 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, Magnolia, AR, 20 miles northeast of Taylor, has a last frost 12 days later (March 31), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 2), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in Taylor, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cotton Valley 5 NNW, LA, 15.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71861
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 71861 is 18 miles from Lewisville, AR, which stands at 340 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71861 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.