USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 72774 — West Fork, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fayetteville Drake Field, AR (1,251 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In West Fork, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 8 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 188 days (NOAA, Fayetteville Drake Field, AR).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 188 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 22
- Last snow
- February 21
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- 6.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Fork
Half of springs at Fayetteville Drake Field, AR see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 1 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 October 21 in half of years, as early as October 8 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 188 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 94 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 27, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Drake Field, 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 72774 →Compare West Fork with another place →
Weather by month in West Fork
July is the warmest month at Fayetteville Drake Field, AR, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 86% of years and May still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,226 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 37% of them (1,575) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 863. Precipitation totals 47.2 inches a year, most in May (5.9") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 25 | 2.8 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 2.6 | 100% | 19 | 29 |
| Mar | 61 | 36 | 4.0 | 99% | 12 | 100 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 5.0 | 86% | 3 | 245 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.9 | 11% | <1 | 477 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Aug | 89 | 65 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 4.3 | 2% | 0 | 570 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 4.5 | 84% | 3 | 277 |
| Nov | 59 | 35 | 3.7 | 100% | 13 | 83 |
| Dec | 50 | 28 | 3.1 | 100% | 22 | 21 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Drake Field, AR (1,251 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, Winslow 7NE, AR, 10 miles east of West Fork and 938 feet higher, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 15 days later (November 5), a season 23 days longer.
When it snows in West Fork, Arkansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Fork usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around February 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Drake Field, AR, 8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 72774
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 72774 is 8 miles from Fayetteville Drake Field, AR, which stands at 1,251 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 72701 (Fayetteville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72774 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.