U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00031968 · Arkansas

Frost Dates for Des Arc, AR

NOAA weather station Des Arc (USC00031968), Arkansas · elevation 200 ft (61 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season247 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Des Arc, ARSpring: a frost after February 23 in 9 years out of 10, after March 11 in half of the years, after April 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 31 in 1 year out of 10, before November 14 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 247 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 11First frost ~Nov 14Frost season at Des Arc, ARSpring: a frost after February 23 in 9 years out of 10, after March 11 in half of the years, after April 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 31 in 1 year out of 10, before November 14 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 247 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 11First frost ~Nov 14
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 1October 31
50% (typical)March 11November 14
90% (likely)February 23December 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
247 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 2
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 11 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 14. Frost-free season 248 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Des Arc: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 1, 20% March 26, 30% March 20, 40% March 16, 50% March 11, 60% March 8, 70% March 5, 80% March 1, 90% February 23. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2023 March 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 1Mar 11Feb 232023: March 20Fall at Des Arc: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 31, 20% November 3, 30% November 7, 40% November 10, 50% November 14, 60% November 18, 70% November 22, 80% November 27, 90% December 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2024 November 29.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 31Nov 14Dec 22024: November 29
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021incomplete recordno data
2022no datano data
2023March 20incomplete record
2024incomplete recordNovember 29
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 31 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Des Arc. The spring counterpart that a careful gardener uses is April 1, when there is only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, making it the low-risk moment to set out tender plants.

The 50% date for light frost in spring is March 11; on that day the chance of a frost is exactly fifty-fifty. In the fall the comparable median is November 14, also representing a 50 % odds point. Hard-frost median dates are March 2 and November 26, indicating when a 28 °F event is equally likely to have occurred or not.

A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost at 32 °F because it reaches temperatures that can cause far greater injury to tender plant tissue.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 1" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 31" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Des Arc, ARNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Searcy, AR — 24 mi; 2 — Stuttgart, AR — 35 mi; 3 — Keo, AR — 38 mi; 4 — Beedeville, AR — 42 mi; 5 — Little Rock, AR — 44 mi.ARMS25 mi · 40 km1. Searcy, AR — 24 mi12. Stuttgart, AR — 35 mi23. Keo, AR — 38 mi34. Beedeville, AR — 42 mi45. Little Rock, AR — 44 mi5
  1. Searcy, AR 24 mi (38 km)
  2. Stuttgart, AR 35 mi (56 km)
  3. Keo, AR 38 mi (61 km)
  4. Beedeville, AR 42 mi (67 km)
  5. Little Rock, AR 44 mi (71 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 34.9772, -91.4978.