USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 72855 — Paris, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Subiaco, AR (500 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Paris, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Subiaco, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Paris
Half of springs at Subiaco, AR see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 41% 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 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 202 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 11 days longer, to about April 8, and return around October 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 91% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F91% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Subiaco, 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 72855 →Compare Paris with another place →
Weather by month in Paris
July is the warmest month at Subiaco, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 29°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,090 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 38% of them (1,953) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 975. Precipitation totals 49.5 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 100% | 20 | 20 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 2.9 | 100% | 15 | 41 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.4 | 95% | 6 | 145 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 4.8 | 40% | 1 | 328 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 599 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 975 |
| Aug | 92 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 941 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 4.0 | 33% | 1 | 383 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.9 | 97% | 7 | 115 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 4.1 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Subiaco, AR (500 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, Blue Mountain Dam, AR, 13 miles south of Paris, has a last frost 3 days later (March 31), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 1), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Paris, Arkansas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Coal Hill, AR, 10.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 72855
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 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 72855 is 5 miles from Subiaco, AR, which stands at 500 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72855 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.