FrostDateCheck

Fort Myers, FL 33970 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Fort Myers, FL?

Zone 10a

Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 01/17, roughly 142 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 01/16, about 365 frost-free days later.

Fort Myers sits in USDA Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.

What to do before the first frost

About 20 weeks of growing season left in Fort Myers before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.

Why 01/17 isn't a guarantee

01/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 02/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Fort Myers compares

Fort Myers's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 547 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within FL, it ranks 156 of 1,609.

Learn more

the frost range covers how to read the range around Fort Myers's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Fort Myers can differ from the 33970 normal.