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USDA Hardiness Zone 8a

Frost Dates for 72927 — Booneville, Arkansas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Booneville 3 SSE, AR (600 ft), 3 miles east.

Updated

In Booneville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 210 days (NOAA, Booneville 3 SSE, AR).

Last spring frost
April 4

50% probability

First fall frost
November 1

50% probability

Growing season
210 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
8a

10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night

First snow
January 8

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 8

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
52%

14 of 27 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Booneville

Half of springs at Booneville 3 SSE, AR see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 210 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 72 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 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 25 and February 7.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 1Apr 6Apr 9Apr 13Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 26Apr 30
32°FMar 17Mar 25Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 11Apr 16Apr 21
28°FMar 1Mar 8Mar 13Mar 17Mar 23Mar 28Mar 31Apr 4Apr 10
24°FFeb 16Feb 24Feb 28Mar 3Mar 7Mar 12Mar 16Mar 22Mar 30
20°FJan 30Feb 8Feb 14Feb 20Feb 25Feb 28Mar 4Mar 8Mar 16
16°F94% of yrsJan 7Jan 19Jan 27Feb 1Feb 7Feb 15Feb 21Feb 28Mar 5
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
28°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 30
24°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 31
16°F94% of yrsNov 26Dec 2Dec 10Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 11Jan 24

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Booneville 3 SSE, 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 72927 →Compare Booneville with another place →

Weather by month in Booneville

July is the warmest month at Booneville 3 SSE, AR, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 63% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 5,014 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 54% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 38% of them (1,891) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 961. Precipitation totals 51.7 inches a year, most in May (5.8") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 42% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Booneville 3 SSE, AR
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan50283.8100%2122
Feb55313.2100%1543
Mar64394.897%8137
Apr73475.063%1315
May80585.80%0577
Jun87664.20%0796
Jul92703.60%0961
Aug92683.50%0935
Sep85614.40%0691
Oct75504.444%1384
Nov62384.698%9119
Dec52314.4100%1833

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Booneville 3 SSE, AR (600 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, Waldron, AR, 14 miles southwest of Booneville, has a last frost 4 days later (April 8), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 28), a season 7 days shorter.

Frost dates for 72958 (Waldron) →

When it snows in Booneville, Arkansas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Booneville usually arrives around January 8, and the last of the season around February 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Booneville 3 SSE, AR, 2.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 52% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 55 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 72927

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Booneville, Arkansas
WhenWhat to do
January 24 – February 7Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 7 – February 21Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 7 – March 21Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 4 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 9Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 18Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
November 1 onwardPlant 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 72927 is 3 miles from Booneville 3 SSE, AR, which stands at 600 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72927 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.

Frost dates across Arkansas →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 8a places in Arkansas