USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 72554 — Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mammoth Spring, AR (502 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Mammoth Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Mammoth Spring, AR).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 194 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 22
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 63%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mammoth Spring
Half of springs at Mammoth Spring, AR see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 27 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 86% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 216 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 103 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 24, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mammoth Spring, 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 72554 →Compare Mammoth Spring with another place →
Weather by month in Mammoth Spring
July is the warmest month at Mammoth Spring, AR, averaging 90°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 23°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,294 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 38% of them (1,614) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 879. Precipitation totals 48.8 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in June (3.3"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 23 | 3.6 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Feb | 52 | 27 | 3.5 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
| Mar | 61 | 35 | 4.6 | 100% | 13 | 96 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 5.2 | 80% | 4 | 253 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 5.3 | 5% | <1 | 501 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Jul | 90 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Aug | 90 | 65 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 3.6 | 1% | 0 | 587 |
| Oct | 72 | 44 | 3.8 | 76% | 3 | 280 |
| Nov | 60 | 34 | 4.6 | 100% | 14 | 75 |
| Dec | 50 | 27 | 3.8 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mammoth Spring, AR (502 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, Hardy, AR, 12 miles south of Mammoth Spring, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 7 days later (October 31), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mammoth Spring usually arrives around January 22, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mammoth Spring, AR, 3.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 63% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 72554
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 72554 is 4 miles from Mammoth Spring, AR, which stands at 502 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 65791 (Thayer). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72554 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.