USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72476 — Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Alicia 2NNE, AR (258 ft), 11 miles southwest.
Updated
In Walnut Ridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 224 days (NOAA, Alicia 2NNE, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 224 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
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Walnut Ridge
Half of springs at Alicia 2NNE, AR see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 10 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 224 days in a typical year, shorter than at 47% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 67 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 8 days longer, to about April 4, and return around October 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Alicia 2NNE, 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 72476 →Compare Walnut Ridge with another place →
Weather by month in Walnut Ridge
July is the warmest month at Alicia 2NNE, AR, averaging 88°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 28°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,682 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 39% of them (1,812) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 921. Precipitation totals 47.4 inches a year, most in April (5.2") and least in June (3.1"); May to September bring 39% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 28 | 3.4 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
| Feb | 49 | 31 | 3.3 | 100% | 15 | 21 |
| Mar | 59 | 39 | 4.5 | 96% | 6 | 102 |
| Apr | 69 | 49 | 5.2 | 36% | 1 | 287 |
| May | 78 | 59 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| Jun | 86 | 69 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 822 |
| Jul | 88 | 72 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 633 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.6 | 30% | 1 | 338 |
| Nov | 58 | 39 | 4.1 | 96% | 7 | 90 |
| Dec | 47 | 32 | 4.6 | 100% | 17 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Alicia 2NNE, AR (258 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, Pocahontas 1, AR, 14 miles north of Walnut Ridge, has a last frost 4 days later (March 31), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 1), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Black Rock, AR, 10.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72476
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 72476 is 11 miles from Alicia 2NNE, AR, which stands at 258 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72476 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.