Frost dates for Orlando, Florida
Orlando doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 61 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 25 and half their first by January 10.
Frost dates for
Orlando, Florida
Last spring frost
January 25
Not every winter has one: about 61 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after February 26.
First fall frost
January 10
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by December 18.
Growing season
355 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 317.
Hardiness zone
10a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 30°F to 35°F. On the 2012 map it was 9b, half a zone colder. All 10 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 10a.
Print a year planner for Orlando
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 | December 30 | January 25 | February 26 |
| First frost in fall | December 18 | January 10 | February 10 |
The frost-free season between them runs 355 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 there is no freeze at all, and in 1 year in 10 it is 317 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 23 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 16 and the first on January 13. 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): about 94 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 5 and the first on January 1. 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.
Planting calendar for Orlando
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.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 61 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
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.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 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 |
| January 11 to 25 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 25 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 8 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 8 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| August | ||
| August 15 to 29 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by October 3 |
| September | ||
| September 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by October 23 |
| October | ||
| October 14 | 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 |
| October 18 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 19 | 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 |
| October 23 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 24 | 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 |
| October 28 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 9 to December 7 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 23 to December 21 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| November 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| December | ||
| December 7 to 28 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 14 to 28 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 18 | 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 21 to January 4 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 28 to January 11 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 28 to January 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 32 days later. That plans around February 26, 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 Orlando International Airport (station USW00012815), 3 miles from the center of Orlando. It sits at about the same elevation, 90 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 St. Cloud.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 12 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 32809, 32812, 32819, 32822, 32824, 32827, 32829, 32831, 32832, 32833, 32837, 34771. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Lakeland, Florida: frost not every year (50 miles away)
- Palm Bay, Florida: frost not every year (55 miles away)
- Palm Coast, Florida: frost not every year (75 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.