USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 72762 — Springdale, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR (1,270 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Springdale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 209 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
- December 23
- Last snow
- February 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 9.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Springdale
Half of springs at Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 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 16, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 20 and February 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 25 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Exp Stn, 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 72762 →Compare Springdale with another place →
Weather by month in Springdale
July is the warmest month at Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 27°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 61% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,504 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 37% of them (1,680) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 900. Precipitation totals 46.3 inches a year, most in May (6.0") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 27 | 2.6 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 2.3 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
| Mar | 59 | 38 | 3.7 | 99% | 10 | 113 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 4.5 | 61% | 2 | 277 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 6.0 | 2% | 0 | 500 |
| Jun | 84 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 872 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 619 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 4.1 | 52% | 1 | 314 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.0 | 100% | 11 | 96 |
| Dec | 50 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR (1,270 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, Fayetteville NW Ar Airport, AR, 9 miles northwest of Springdale, has a last frost 4 days later (April 8), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 28), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Springdale, Arkansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Springdale usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bentonville 4 S, AR, 9.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 72762
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 72762 is 6 miles from Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR, which stands at 1,270 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 72764 (Springdale). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72762 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.