Little Rock, AR 72190 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Little Rock, AR?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/21, about 205 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/10, about 234 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Little Rock 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 Little Rock before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/21 isn't a guarantee
03/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Little Rock compares
About 234 days separate Little Rock's last and first frost, putting it 9,680 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within AR, it ranks 167 of 687.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Little Rock can differ from the 72190 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8a and Little Rock's frost date answer different questions.