Lake City, FL 32024 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lake City, FL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/13, about 197 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/22, about 255 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lake City in Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 12 weeks of growing season left in Lake City before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/13 isn't a guarantee
03/13 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/16 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lake City compares
At roughly 255 frost-free days, Lake City places 6,904 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within FL, it ranks 1,567 of 1,609.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Lake City can differ from the 32024 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Lake City's frost date answer different questions.