FrostDateCheck

Bradford, AR 72020 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Bradford, AR?

Zone 8a

Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/18, roughly 202 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/11, about 240 frost-free days later.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bradford in Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 11 weeks of growing season left in Bradford 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

03/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/28 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Bradford compares

Bradford's growing season runs about 240 days, ranking 8,712 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AR, it ranks 91 of 687.

Learn more

the frost range covers how to read the range around Bradford's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Bradford can differ from the 72020 normal.