El Dorado, AR 71730 Frost Dates
When can you plant in El Dorado, AR?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/24, about 208 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/07, about 230 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts El Dorado in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 10 weeks of growing season left in El Dorado before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/24 isn't a guarantee
03/24 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How El Dorado compares
El Dorado's growing season runs about 230 days, ranking 10,333 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AR, it ranks 228 of 687.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in El Dorado can differ from the 71730 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and El Dorado's frost date answer different questions.