USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72301 — West Memphis, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from W Memphis, AR (215 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In West Memphis, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 10, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, W Memphis, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 10
- Growing season
- 235 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
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Memphis
Half of springs at W Memphis, AR see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 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 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 262 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 58 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 2, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 75%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at W Memphis, 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 72301 →Compare West Memphis with another place →
Weather by month in West Memphis
July is the warmest month at W Memphis, AR, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 31°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 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,384 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (2,102) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 981. Precipitation totals 55.7 inches a year, most in May (5.9") and least in August (3.1"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 26 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 4.4 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| Mar | 62 | 42 | 5.8 | 88% | 5 | 160 |
| Apr | 72 | 51 | 5.8 | 23% | 1 | 362 |
| May | 80 | 61 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 864 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 981 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 4.4 | 16% | <1 | 420 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.8 | 89% | 6 | 144 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 5.6 | 99% | 14 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at W Memphis, AR (215 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, West Memphis Municipal Airport, AR, 3 miles west of West Memphis, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 16), a first frost 1 day later (November 11), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in West Memphis, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at W Memphis, AR, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72301
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 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 72301 is 2 miles from W Memphis, AR, which stands at 215 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72301 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.