Pensacola, FL 32511 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Pensacola, FL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 02/14, about 170 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/09, about 301 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Pensacola 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 15 weeks of growing season left in Pensacola before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 02/14 isn't a guarantee
02/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Pensacola compares
Pensacola's growing season runs about 301 days, ranking 3,919 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within FL, it ranks 1,294 of 1,609.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Pensacola can differ from the 32511 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 9a and Pensacola's frost date answer different questions.