USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72370 — Osceola, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Keiser, AR (232 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Osceola, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 229 days (NOAA, Keiser, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 6
- 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
- 44%
- Snow per year
- 1.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Osceola
Half of springs at Keiser, AR see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by March 4, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 10 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 206 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 11 days longer, to about April 3, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Keiser, 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 72370 →Compare Osceola with another place →
Weather by month in Osceola
July is the warmest month at Keiser, AR, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,363 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 40% of them (2,138) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in April (5.5") 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 | 47 | 31 | 4.1 | 100% | 20 | 23 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 4.5 | 100% | 14 | 43 |
| Mar | 61 | 42 | 5.0 | 92% | 6 | 148 |
| Apr | 72 | 52 | 5.5 | 27% | 1 | 368 |
| May | 81 | 62 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 4.0 | 28% | 1 | 404 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 4.3 | 91% | 7 | 131 |
| Dec | 51 | 34 | 4.9 | 100% | 16 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Keiser, AR (232 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, Blytheville, AR, 17 miles northeast of Osceola, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 18), a first frost 8 days later (November 14), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Osceola, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Keiser, AR, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72370
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 72370 is 4 miles from Keiser, AR, which stands at 232 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72370 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.