Frost dates for Fort Smith, Arkansas
In Fort Smith, half of springs have had their last frost by March 25 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 11), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 6, leaving about 224 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Last spring frost
March 25
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 11: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 6
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 23.
Growing season
224 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 202.
Hardiness zone
8a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 10°F to 15°F. On the 2012 map it was 7b, half a zone colder. All 7 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 8a.
Print a year planner for Fort Smith
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 4 | March 25 | April 11 |
| First frost in fall | October 23 | November 6 | November 21 |
The frost-free season between them runs 224 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 248 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 202 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 11 and first on November 17. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 8 and first on October 28. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Fort Smith comes between March 4 and April 11, a window of 38 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Arkansas's 112 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 58 percent have their typical last frost later than Fort Smith does.
Planting calendar for Fort Smith
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 7 to February 4 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| January 21 to February 18 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 4 to 25 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 11 to 25 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February 18 to March 4 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 25 to March 11 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 25 to March 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 11 to 25 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 11 to 25 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 25 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April | ||
| April 8 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 8 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 11 to 25 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 30 |
| July | ||
| July 1 to 15 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 19 |
| August | ||
| August 10 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 14 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 15 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 19 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 20 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 24 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 3 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 13 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 23 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 24 to December 1 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 17 days later. That plans around April 11, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Fort Smith Regional Airport (station USW00013964), 1 mile from the center of Fort Smith. It sits at about the same elevation, 450 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Van Buren.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 21 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 72901, 72903, 72904, 72905, 72908, 72916, 72921, 72923, 72930, 72935, 72936, 72937, 72941, 72945, 72956, 74901, 74902, 74932, 74946, 74954, 74959. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Fayetteville, Arkansas: last frost around April 15, first frost around October 21 (50 miles away)
- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma: last frost around March 30, first frost around November 4 (95 miles away)
- Tulsa, Oklahoma: last frost around March 31, first frost around November 4 (100 miles away)
See frost dates across Arkansas, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.