NOAA station USC00034638 · Arkansas
Frost Dates for Marianna, AR
NOAA weather station Marianna 2 S (USC00034638), Arkansas · elevation 234 ft (71 m) · hardiness zone 8a*
- Lower-risk planting dateafter April 5only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
- Typical last frostMarch 1850% chance of a frost after it
- Typical first fall frostNovember 1150% chance of a frost before it
- Frost-free season238 daystypical year, 32°F
- Hardiness zone8acalculated*
The year at a glance
Frost dates (32°F)
| Chance | Last frost in spring after | First frost in fall before |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (unlikely) | April 5 | October 28 |
| 50% (typical) | March 18 | November 11 |
| 90% (likely) | March 1 | December 1 |
- Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
- 238 days
- Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
- March 7
- Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
- November 26
The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)
Typical last frost March 15 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 239 days.
A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.
Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).
How the chance of frost changes with the date
What actually happened in recent years
| Year | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | March 3 | November 13 |
| 2022 | March 13 | October 19 |
| 2023 | March 20 | October 31 |
| 2024 | March 19 | November 29 |
| 2025 | March 6 | November 10 |
| 2026 | March 18 | season not over yet |
What these dates mean
Setting out tender crops on March 1 in Marianna is a gamble, because there is a 90% chance of a frost later than this date. The cautious spring date for tender crops is April 5, when only a 10% chance of a frost remains.
The 50% spring date is March 18, representing an even chance of a frost later than this date, while the 50% fall date is November 11, a 50% chance of a frost earlier than this date. For a cautious fall schedule, October 28 is used, carrying only a 10% chance that a frost has arrived earlier.
Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, and the 50% hard-frost dates are March 7 and November 26, marking the points where a frost of that severity is equally likely to have occurred.
How to read the probabilities
The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.
- Spring: "10% after April 5" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
- Fall: "10% before October 28" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
- 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
- A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.
Nearby weather stations
- Helena, AR 18 mi (29 km)
- Stuttgart, AR 41 mi (66 km)
- West Memphis, AR 43 mi (68 km)
- Hernando, MS 43 mi (69 km)
- Des Arc, AR 45 mi (72 km)
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00034638
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University — 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS datasets
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 2006–2020 (15-year normals), station USC00034638
- NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network – Daily (GHCN-Daily), observed daily minimum temperature, retrieved 2026-10-08
* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.
Station coordinates: 34.7392, -90.7664.