USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 71964 — Pearcy, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Blakely Mountain Dam, AR (426 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Pearcy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Blakely Mountain Dam, AR).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 216 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
- 2.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pearcy
Half of springs at Blakely Mountain Dam, AR see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 193 one year in ten. On average 80 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 13 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Blakely Mountain Dam, 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 71964 →Compare Pearcy with another place →
Weather by month in Pearcy
July is the warmest month at Blakely Mountain Dam, AR, averaging 91°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 29°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 56% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,621 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 37% of them (1,727) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 884. Precipitation totals 57.9 inches a year, most in May (6.5") 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 | 50 | 29 | 3.9 | 100% | 22 | 19 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 4.6 | 100% | 18 | 33 |
| Mar | 63 | 38 | 5.3 | 96% | 8 | 118 |
| Apr | 72 | 46 | 5.8 | 56% | 2 | 282 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 884 |
| Aug | 91 | 66 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 653 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.7 | 34% | 1 | 347 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 5.5 | 97% | 10 | 104 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 5.3 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Blakely Mountain Dam, AR (426 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, Hot Springs 1 NNE, AR, 13 miles northeast of Pearcy and 200 feet higher, has a last frost 15 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 9 days later (November 13), a season 23 days longer.
When it snows in Pearcy, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bonnerdale 5 E, AR, 3.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71964
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 71964 is 10 miles from Blakely Mountain Dam, AR, which stands at 426 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 71964 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.