USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 71909 — Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR (626 ft), 11 miles south.
Updated
In Hot Springs Village, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 239 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
- 37%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hot Springs Village
Half of springs at Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 28 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 26, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 265 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 59 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 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 70%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F | Jan 26 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 29 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hot Springs 1 NNE, 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 71909 →Compare Hot Springs Village with another place →
Weather by month in Hot Springs Village
July is the warmest month at Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 32°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 87% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,504 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (2,133) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,011. Precipitation totals 57.9 inches a year, most in May (6.5") and least in August (3.6"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 32 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 100% | 13 | 59 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 5.5 | 87% | 6 | 185 |
| Apr | 74 | 51 | 5.9 | 23% | 1 | 374 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 850 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 1011 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 992 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 5.1 | 15% | <1 | 426 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 4.9 | 83% | 6 | 146 |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 5.0 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR (626 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, Alum Fk, AR, 12 miles northeast of Hot Springs Village, has a last frost 9 days later (March 28), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 8), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR, 10.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71909
| 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 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 71909 is 11 miles from Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR, which stands at 626 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 71913 (Hot Springs). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71909 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.