USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72020 — Bradford, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Newport, AR (228 ft), 15 miles northeast.
Updated
In Bradford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 240 days (NOAA, Newport, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 240 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
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bradford
Half of springs at Newport, AR see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 4 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 11 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 240 days in a typical year, longer than at 86% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 264 days one year in ten and falls short of 218 one year in ten. On average 60 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 March 31, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 80%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Newport, 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 72020 →Compare Bradford with another place →
Weather by month in Bradford
July is the warmest month at Newport, AR, averaging 89°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 30°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 88% of years and April still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,954 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (1,930) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 952. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in May (5.6") and least in August (3.0"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 15 |
| Feb | 51 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 13 | 32 |
| Mar | 60 | 41 | 5.0 | 88% | 5 | 129 |
| Apr | 70 | 51 | 5.4 | 17% | <1 | 327 |
| May | 78 | 60 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 599 |
| Jun | 86 | 69 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 672 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 4.0 | 12% | <1 | 356 |
| Nov | 59 | 40 | 4.9 | 87% | 6 | 106 |
| Dec | 49 | 33 | 4.9 | 100% | 16 | 25 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Newport, AR (228 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, Searcy, AR, 20 miles southwest of Bradford, has a last frost 9 days later (March 27), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 8), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Bradford, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Augusta, AR, 13.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72020
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 72020 is 15 miles from Newport, AR, which stands at 228 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 72112 (Newport). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72020 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.