Frost dates for Gainesville Regional Airport, FL
At Gainesville Regional Airport, the median last spring frost (32°F) is Mar 3 and the median first fall frost is Dec 2, for a typical growing season of 277 days. For a 90% chance that the last frost has passed, wait until Mar 23. Nearby ZIP codes are in USDA hardiness zone 9a.
- Mar 3Last spring frost (median)50% chance of 32°F after this date
- Mar 23Safer planting date10% chance of 32°F after this date
- Dec 2First fall frost (median)50% chance of 32°F by this date
- 277 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 | Feb 27 | Mar 17 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 23 |
| 28°F | Jan 9 | Feb 12 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F | Dec 26 | Jan 27 | Feb 23 |
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 | Nov 3 | Nov 19 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F | Nov 12 | Dec 2 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 25 | Dec 25 | Jan 26 |
| 24°F | Dec 6 | Jan 5 | Feb 9 |
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 | 219 days | 246 days | 277 days |
| 32°F | 246 days | 277 days | 310 days |
| 28°F | 276 days | 312 days | 352 days |
| 24°F | 311 days | 348 days | 365 days |
Chance of a freeze in any year
| Temperature | Chance per year |
|---|---|
| 36°F | 100% |
| 32°F | 100% |
| 28°F | 94% |
| 24°F | 67% |
ZIP codes whose closest station is this one
| ZIP | Hardiness zone | Avg. extreme low | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32641 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 6 km |
| 32601 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 7 km |
| 32603 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 8 km |
| 32610 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 9 km |
| 32609 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 9 km |
| 32612 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 9 km |
| 32605 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 9 km |
| 32631 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 16 km |
| 32667 | 9a | 20 to 25°F | 23 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 USW00012816, at 29.6919, -82.2756, elevation 38 m (123 ft).
- Data quality: Standard (24+ years of data), 27 years of freeze data.
- Average days per year at or below 32°F: 15.
- Frost risk changes over short distances. Valleys and low spots freeze earlier than hillsides and city centers.
Nearby weather stations
- Gainesville 11 WNW (21 km)
- Starke (31 km)
- High Springs (35 km)
- Orange Springs 2ssw (38 km)
- Usher Twr (61 km)
- Ocala (62 km)
- Lake City 2 E (63 km)
- Bell 4nw (63 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.