Hope, AR 71801 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Hope, AR?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/26, roughly 210 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/06, about 226 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Hope, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Hope before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
03/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Hope compares
Hope's growing season runs about 226 days, ranking 11,174 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AR, it ranks 306 of 687.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Hope can differ from the 71801 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Hope's frost date answer different questions.