USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 72042 — De Witt, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Saint Charles, AR (200 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In De Witt, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 17 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Saint Charles, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 17
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 238 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 41%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in De Witt
Half of springs at Saint Charles, AR see their last 32°F night by March 17; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 5. Planting tender crops after March 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 5 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 10 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 264 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 54 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 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 60%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Saint Charles, 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 72042 →Compare De Witt with another place →
Weather by month in De Witt
July is the warmest month at Saint Charles, AR, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 33°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,307 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,108) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 956. Precipitation totals 52.0 inches a year, most in April (5.9") and least in August (2.8"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
| Feb | 55 | 36 | 4.7 | 100% | 11 | 57 |
| Mar | 64 | 44 | 5.7 | 85% | 5 | 184 |
| Apr | 72 | 52 | 5.9 | 18% | <1 | 370 |
| May | 80 | 61 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Jun | 87 | 69 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.8 | 19% | 1 | 404 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.6 | 88% | 6 | 142 |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 5.3 | 99% | 14 | 51 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Saint Charles, AR (200 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, Stuttgart 9 ESE, AR, 14 miles north of De Witt, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 11), a first frost 7 days later (November 17), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in De Witt, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Saint Charles, AR, 12.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72042
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 6 – January 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 10 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 72042 is 13 miles from Saint Charles, AR, which stands at 200 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72042 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.