Frost dates for Gainesville, Florida
In Gainesville, half of springs have had their last frost by March 3 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 23), and half of falls have had their first frost by December 2, leaving about 277 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
Gainesville, Florida
Last spring frost
March 3
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 23: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
December 2
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 12.
Growing season
277 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 246.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. It was 9a on the 2012 map too. All 8 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9a.
Print a year planner for Gainesville
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 | February 1 | March 3 | March 23 |
| First frost in fall | November 12 | December 2 | January 1 |
The frost-free season between them runs 277 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 310 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 246 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 94 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 12 and the first on December 25. 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 March 17 and first on November 19. 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 Gainesville comes between February 1 and March 23, a window of 50 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 Florida's 40 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 58 percent have their typical last frost later than Gainesville does.
Planting calendar for Gainesville
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.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 13 to February 3 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 20 to February 3 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 27 to February 10 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 3 to 17 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 3 to 17 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 17 to March 3 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 17 to March 3 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 3 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March 17 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 17 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 7 to 21 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 25 |
| July 27 to August 10 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 14 |
| September | ||
| September 5 | 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 |
| September 9 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 10 | 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 |
| September 14 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 15 | 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 |
| September 19 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 29 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 9 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 19 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 12 | 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 |
| December | ||
| December 16 to January 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 30 to January 27 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 20 days later. That plans around March 23, 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 Gainesville Regional Airport (station USW00012816), 4 miles from the center of Gainesville. It sits at about the same elevation, 120 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 Alachua.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 9 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 32601, 32603, 32605, 32609, 32610, 32612, 32631, 32641, 32667. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Jacksonville, Florida: frost not every year (60 miles away)
- Palm Coast, Florida: frost not every year (65 miles away)
- Orlando, Florida: frost not every year (105 miles away)
See frost dates across Florida, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.