GreenlyFrost dates and when to plant in Arkansas
United States
In Arkansas the last spring frost comes between 3 March (Little Rock) and 30 March (Fayetteville) — the median of 2016–2025 in 3 cities. The first autumn frost comes between 10 November (Fayetteville) and 20 November (Little Rock). The frost-free season lasts 225–262 days. Tomato: plant out into open ground 16 March – 31 July, earliest in Little Rock, latest in Little Rock.
Frost dates by city in Arkansas
| City | Last spring frost | First autumn frost | Frost-free days | Climate zone | Tomato: window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | 3 March | 20 November | 262 | 210–269 frost-free days | 16 March – 31 July |
| Fort Smith | 16 March | 18 November | 247 | 210–269 frost-free days | 5 April – 29 July |
| Fayetteville | 30 March | 10 November | 225 | 210–269 frost-free days | 10 April – 21 July |
Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.
When to plant in Arkansas: windows by crop
The earliest start and the latest end among the cities here, each with its city; every city’s own window is on its page. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing |
|---|---|
| Tomato | 16 March (Little Rock) – 31 July (Little Rock) |
| Cucumber | 22 April (Little Rock) – 5 September (Little Rock) |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 22 April (Little Rock) – 31 July (Little Rock) |
| Zucchini | 22 April (Little Rock) – 3 September (Little Rock) |
| Pumpkin | 22 April (Little Rock) – 26 July (Little Rock) |
| Watermelon | 22 April (Little Rock) – 11 August (Little Rock) |
| Peas | 10 February (Little Rock) – 7 September (Little Rock) |
| Garlic | Autumn planting: 11 October (Fayetteville) – end of December (Little Rock) |
| Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: by 21 October (Little Rock) |
Weather by month in Arkansas
Across the 3 cities the warmest month is July (average days 31.7 … 33.5 °C) and the coldest January (average nights -1.3 … 1.2 °C). 2 of the 3 cities have months with nights below 0 °C on average; the longest such winter is in Fayetteville (January).
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.2 … 10.8 °C | -1.3 … 1.2 °C | 88 |
| February | 11.8 … 14 °C | 1.1 … 3.5 °C | 90 |
| March | 17 … 18.9 °C | 6.2 … 8.1 °C | 141 |
| April | 20.2 … 22.4 °C | 9.6 … 11.6 °C | 163 |
| May | 24.4 … 27 °C | 14.6 … 16.7 °C | 147 |
| June | 29.8 … 31.6 °C | 19.6 … 21.3 °C | 95 |
| July | 31.7 … 33.5 °C | 21.8 … 23.6 °C | 91 |
| August | 30.7 … 32.6 °C | 21 … 22.8 °C | 101 |
| September | 28.5 … 30.3 °C | 18.1 … 19.8 °C | 73 |
| October | 22.2 … 24.3 °C | 12.2 … 14 °C | 106 |
| November | 15.5 … 17.4 °C | 5.8 … 7.3 °C | 76 |
| December | 11.2 … 13.2 °C | 2.2 … 4.1 °C | 89 |
Day and night: the lowest … highest monthly average among the cities; rain: the middle city (ERA5 via Open-Meteo).
What to plant month by month: the South
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More about the United States
- Gardening in the United States: climate zones and crops by region
- United States: frost dates by city
- When to plant tomatoes in the United States
- When to plant cucumbers in the United States
- When to plant bell peppers in the United States
- When to plant peas in the United States
- When to plant garlic in the United States
- Gardening by country
