Frost dates for Fort Smith Regional Airport, AR
At Fort Smith Regional Airport, the median last spring frost (32°F) is Mar 25 and the median first fall frost is Nov 6, for a typical growing season of 224 days. For a 90% chance that the last frost has passed, wait until Apr 11. Nearby ZIP codes are in USDA hardiness zones 7b to 8a.
- Mar 25Last spring frost (median)50% chance of 32°F after this date
- Apr 11Safer planting date10% chance of 32°F after this date
- Nov 6First fall frost (median)50% chance of 32°F by this date
- 224 daysGrowing season (median)between 32°F freezes
Last spring frost dates
The chance that the temperature drops to the threshold after each date.
| Temperature | 90% chance later | 50% chance later | 10% chance later |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Apr 8 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 4 | Mar 25 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Mar 11 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 27 | Mar 18 |
First fall frost dates
The chance that the temperature has dropped to the threshold by each date.
| Temperature | 10% chance by | 50% chance by | 90% chance by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 28 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Nov 6 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 17 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 30 | Dec 21 |
Growing season length
Days between the last spring and first fall freeze, as the length reached in 9, 5 and 1 out of 10 years.
| Temperature | 9 in 10 years at least | 5 in 10 years at least | 1 in 10 years at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 183 days | 203 days | 223 days |
| 32°F | 202 days | 224 days | 248 days |
| 28°F | 223 days | 250 days | 276 days |
| 24°F | 247 days | 275 days | 306 days |
Chance of a freeze in any year
| Temperature | Chance per year |
|---|---|
| 36°F | 100% |
| 32°F | 100% |
| 28°F | 100% |
| 24°F | 100% |
ZIP codes whose closest station is this one
| ZIP | Hardiness zone | Avg. extreme low | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72903 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 2 km |
| 72908 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 5 km |
| 72901 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 6 km |
| 72916 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 7 km |
| 72923 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 7 km |
| 72904 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 9 km |
| 74946 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 11 km |
| 74901 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 13 km |
| 74902 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 13 km |
| 72905 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 13 km |
| 74954 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 15 km |
| 72956 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 15 km |
| 72941 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 18 km |
| 72936 | 8a | 10 to 15°F | 21 km |
| 72937 | 7b | 5 to 10°F | 22 km |
| 74959 | 7b | 5 to 10°F | 25 km |
| 72940 | 7b | 5 to 10°F | 25 km |
| 72945 | 7b | 5 to 10°F | 26 km |
| 74932 | 7b | 5 to 10°F | 26 km |
Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones shown here are the values published in the USDA-ARS / Oregon State University PRISM Group 2023 ZIP code tables, shown unaltered. For the official interactive map, visit planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
About this station
- NOAA station ID USW00013964, at 35.3331, -94.3625, elevation 137 m (449 ft).
- Data quality: Standard (24+ years of data), 27 years of freeze data.
- Average days per year at or below 32°F: 63.
- Frost risk changes over short distances. Valleys and low spots freeze earlier than hillsides and city centers.
Nearby weather stations
- Mountainburg 2 NE (40 km)
- Booneville 3 SSE (48 km)
- Ozark 2 (49 km)
- Waldron (52 km)
- Winslow 7ne (66 km)
- Subiaco (66 km)
- Blue Mountain Dam (69 km)
- Fayetteville Drake Field (77 km)
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal normals by station (version 1.0.1), file dated June 27, 2023; documentation.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code tables (CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico), files dated November 17, 2023. Data © PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 1, 2026. Official map: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer ZIP Code Tabulation Areas file, dated August 30, 2024 (ZIP centroids used to find the nearest station).
Freeze dates are 30-year probabilities, not forecasts. Check your local forecast before planting tender plants.