Frost dates for Tallahassee, Florida
In Tallahassee, half of springs have had their last frost by March 11 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 30), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 21, leaving about 255 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
Tallahassee, Florida
Last spring frost
March 11
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 30: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 21
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 3.
Growing season
255 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 226.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. On the 2012 map it was 8b, half a zone colder. All 8 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9a.
Print a year planner for Tallahassee
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 18 | March 11 | March 30 |
| First frost in fall | November 3 | November 21 | December 14 |
The frost-free season between them runs 255 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 286 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 226 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on February 25 and first on December 6. 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 25 and first on November 9. 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 Tallahassee comes between February 18 and March 30, a window of 40 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, 20 percent have their typical last frost later than Tallahassee does.
Planting calendar for Tallahassee
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 7 to February 4 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 21 to February 11 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 28 to February 11 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 4 to 18 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 11 to 25 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 11 to 25 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 25 to March 11 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 25 to March 11 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 11 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March 25 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 25 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 26 to July 10 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 14 |
| July | ||
| July 16 to 30 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 3 |
| August | ||
| August 25 | 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 29 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 30 | 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 | ||
| September 3 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 4 | 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 8 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 28 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 8 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 3 | 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 24 to January 21 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 19 days later. That plans around March 30, 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 Tallahassee (station USW00093805), 6 miles from the center of Tallahassee. It sits 110 feet lower, at 60 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.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 14 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 32301, 32303, 32304, 32305, 32306, 32307, 32308, 32309, 32311, 32312, 32313, 32317, 32355, 32399. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Gainesville, Florida: last frost around March 3, first frost around December 2 (125 miles away)
- Columbus, Georgia: last frost around March 5, first frost around November 23 (145 miles away)
- Jacksonville, Florida: frost not every year (155 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.