USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72223 — Little Rock, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marche, AR (272 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Little Rock, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 213 days (NOAA, Marche, AR).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 213 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Little Rock
Half of springs at Marche, AR see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 17 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 65% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 213 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 236 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 83 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 12 days longer, to about April 13, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between December 29 and February 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marche, 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 72223 →Compare Little Rock with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Little Rock, AR, 12 miles east of Little Rock and 296 feet higher, has a last frost 16 days earlier (March 16), a first frost 15 days later (November 16), a season 32 days longer.
When it snows in Little Rock, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lake Maumelle, AR, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72223
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 72223 is 9 miles from Marche, AR, which stands at 272 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72223 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.