USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72011 — Bauxite, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Benton, AR (310 ft), 8 miles west.
Updated
In Bauxite, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 229 days (NOAA, Benton, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 229 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bauxite
Half of springs at Benton, AR see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 229 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 254 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 64 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 7, and return around October 30. 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 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 30 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Benton, 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 72011 →Compare Bauxite with another place →
Weather by month in Bauxite
July is the warmest month at Benton, AR, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 90% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,499 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (2,144) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,011. Precipitation totals 53.4 inches a year, most in April (5.6") and least in August (3.5"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 3.8 | 100% | 19 | 30 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 4.2 | 100% | 14 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 5.1 | 90% | 6 | 179 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.6 | 29% | 1 | 374 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 5.2 | 2% | 0 | 639 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 1011 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 983 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 4.4 | 24% | 1 | 426 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.8 | 95% | 7 | 145 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 4.9 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Benton, AR (310 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, Sheridan, AR, 16 miles south of Bauxite, has a last frost 8 days later (April 1), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 3), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Bauxite, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Benton, AR, 8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72011
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 72011 is 8 miles from Benton, AR, which stands at 310 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 72015 (Benton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72011 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.