Frost dates / By state
Frost dates in Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Your own yard can run a little either side.
Short answer
Across 19 NOAA weather stations in Arkansas, the average last spring frost runs from March 13 at Pine Bluff Grider Fld to April 15 at Fayetteville Drake Fld. The first fall frost comes as early as October 21 at Fayetteville Drake Fld and as late as November 16 at Little Rock. Planting zones near these stations run from 7a to 8b.
Arkansas cities
- Frost dates in Little Rock: last frost March 21, first frost November 10
Find yours by ZIP code
The table below is by weather station. For the station nearest you, and your planting zone, type your ZIP code.
Arkansas frost dates by weather station
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free | Zone nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batesville 8 WNW 455 ft | April 9 1 in 10 after April 24 | October 25 1 in 10 by October 12 | 199 days | 7b |
| Blytheville Muni Airport 255 ft | March 24 1 in 10 after April 10 | November 6 1 in 10 by October 23 | 227 days | 8a |
| De Queen Sevier Co Airport 355 ft | March 26 1 in 10 after April 11 | November 5 1 in 10 by October 21 | 224 days | 8a |
| El Dorado S Ar Rgnl Airport 252 ft | March 24 1 in 10 after April 9 | November 7 1 in 10 by October 24 | 228 days | 8b |
| Fayetteville Drake Fld 1,251 ft | April 15 1 in 10 after May 1 | October 21 1 in 10 by October 8 | 189 days | 7a |
| Fayetteville Nw Ar Airport 1,287 ft | April 8 1 in 10 after April 26 | October 28 1 in 10 by October 14 | 203 days | 7a |
| Ft Smith Rgnl Airport 449 ft | March 25 1 in 10 after April 11 | November 6 1 in 10 by October 23 | 226 days | 8a |
| Harrison Boone Co Airport 1,374 ft | April 3 1 in 10 after April 21 | October 30 1 in 10 by October 16 | 210 days | 7b |
| Hot Springs ASOS 535 ft | March 24 1 in 10 after April 13 | November 9 1 in 10 by October 26 | 230 days | 8a |
| Jonesboro Muni Airport 262 ft | March 23 1 in 10 after April 9 | November 9 1 in 10 by October 27 | 231 days | 7b |
| Little Rock 568 ft | March 16 1 in 10 after April 2 | November 16 1 in 10 by October 31 | 245 days | 8a |
| Little Rock Airport Adams Fld 258 ft | March 21 1 in 10 after April 6 | November 10 1 in 10 by October 29 | 234 days | 8a |
| Monticello Muni Airport 290 ft | March 18 1 in 10 after April 6 | November 12 1 in 10 by October 28 | 239 days | 8b |
| Mount Ida ASOS 702 ft | April 2 1 in 10 after April 20 | October 31 1 in 10 by October 16 | 212 days | 8a |
| Mountain Home Baxter Airport 928 ft | April 2 1 in 10 after April 19 | November 1 1 in 10 by October 19 | 213 days | 7b |
| Pine Bluff Grider Fld 207 ft | March 13 1 in 10 after April 1 | November 13 1 in 10 by October 28 | 245 days | 8b |
| Russellville Muni Airport 403 ft | March 29 1 in 10 after April 13 | November 2 1 in 10 by October 20 | 218 days | 8a |
| Texarkana Webb Fld 361 ft | March 13 1 in 10 after April 3 | November 13 1 in 10 by November 1 | 245 days | 8b |
| West Memphis Muni Airport 214 ft | March 16 1 in 10 after April 3 | November 11 1 in 10 by October 30 | 240 days | 8a |
The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. Stations are NOAA's main weather stations, mostly airports. “Zone nearby” is the USDA 2023 zone of the nearest ZIP code within 10 miles. NOAA counts the frost season from August to July, so in the warmest places the “first fall” freeze lands after New Year.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
Other states
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)