USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 71937 — Cove, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Smithville, OK (822 ft), 15 miles west.
Updated
In Cove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, Smithville, OK).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 201 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
- 24%
- Snow per year
- 1.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cove
Half of springs at Smithville, OK see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 24 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 225 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 88 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 11 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 8 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Smithville, OK, 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 71937 →Compare Cove with another place →
Weather by month in Cove
July is the warmest month at Smithville, OK, averaging 91°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 28°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,591 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 38% of them (1,741) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 890.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 20 |
| Feb | 56 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 27 |
| Mar | 64 | 38 | 99% | 10 | 125 |
| Apr | 72 | 45 | 76% | 3 | 278 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 2% | 0 | 546 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Aug | 91 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Sep | 84 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 61% | 3 | 330 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 100% | 11 | 104 |
| Dec | 54 | 28 | 100% | 20 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Smithville, OK (822 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, Mena, AR, 15 miles northeast of Cove and 330 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 3 days later (November 1), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Cove, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Vandervoort 1 ENE, AR, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71937
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 71937 is 15 miles from Smithville, OK, which stands at 822 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71937 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.