Frost dates Arkansas Little Rock

Frost dates in Little Rock, Arkansas

Last spring frost Mar 21 First fall frost Nov 10 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Little Rock is Mar 21 and the average first fall frost is Nov 10, measured at LITTLE ROCK AP ADAMS FLD, about 3 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostMar 2132°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostNov 1032°F, 50% probability
Days between them234average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 2Nov 25
50%Mar 21Nov 10
10%Apr 6Oct 29

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Mar 21, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 6. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 29.

Measured at: LITTLE ROCK AP ADAMS FLD, AR (NOAA station USW00013963), about 3 miles away at 258 ft, 30 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • LITTLE ROCK, AR (NOAA station USW00003952), about 6 miles away at 568 ft, 25 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 16, first fall frost Nov 16
  • KEO, AR (NOAA station USC00033862), about 20 miles away at 231 ft, 30 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Mar 21, first fall frost Nov 9

Seed-starting schedule for Little Rock, AR

Counted from a last frost date of Mar 21 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Dec 1314 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekDec 13 to Dec 27
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionDec 13 to Dec 27
  2. Week of Dec 2013 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyDec 20 to Dec 27
  3. Week of Dec 2712 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryDec 27 to Jan 10
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachDec 27 to Jan 10
  4. Week of Jan 1010 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 10 to Jan 24
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 10 to Jan 24
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 10 to Jan 24
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 10 to Jan 24
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 10 to Jan 24
  5. Week of Jan 179 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceJan 17 to Jan 24
  6. Week of Jan 248 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerJan 24 to Feb 7
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantJan 24 to Feb 7
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperJan 24 to Feb 7
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardJan 24 to Feb 7
  7. Week of Jan 317 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoJan 31 to Feb 14
  8. Week of Feb 76 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 7 to Feb 21
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 7 to Feb 28
  9. Week of Feb 214 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Feb 21
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Set transplants outBroccoliFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Feb 21
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Feb 21
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Feb 21
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Feb 21
    • Set transplants outLettuceFeb 21 to Feb 28
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Feb 21
  10. Week of Feb 283 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberFeb 28 to Mar 7
    • Set transplants outParsleyFeb 28 to Mar 7
  11. Week of Mar 72 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 7 to Mar 14
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 7
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 7
  12. Week of Mar 21Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Mar 21
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Mar 21
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Mar 21
  13. Week of Mar 281 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outCucumberMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outTomatoMar 28 to Apr 4
  14. Week of Apr 42 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 4

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

← Frost dates in Arkansas

Free on iOS and Android

Turn the dates into a plan.

Gardned builds a planting plan for your own beds, matched to your climate and conditions.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play