Frost dates by state › Florida
Florida frost dates
Average last spring and first fall frost dates for Florida’s largest cities, with each city’s USDA hardiness zone.
Reviewed October 2026
Among Florida’s 20 largest cities, the average last spring frost ranges from Jan 16 in Cape Coral to Mar 11 in Tallahassee. Elevation, distance from the coast and city heat all shift the date, so use your own ZIP code below for the closest match.
In Miami, St. Petersburg, Port St. Lucie and Hialeah, freezes are too rare to give a date, so plant by season rather than by frost date.
For what to plant month by month, see Florida vegetable gardening.
| City | Average last spring frost | Average first fall frost | Frost-free days | Hardiness zone | Weather station used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | Feb 1 | Jan 5 (next winter) | 338 | 9b | Jacksonville Nas, FL, 7 mi |
| Miami | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 11a | Miami Beach, FL, 5 mi |
| Tampa | Jan 20 | Jan 12 (next winter) | 357 | 9b–10a | Tampa Intl Airport, FL, 4 mi |
| Orlando | Jan 25 | Jan 10 (next winter) | 350 | 10a | Orlando Intl Airport, FL, 5 mi |
| St. Petersburg | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10a–10b | St Petersburg Airport, FL |
| Port St. Lucie | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10a | Nettles Is, FL, 10 mi |
| Hialeah | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 11a | Miami Opa Locka Airport, FL, 3 mi |
| Cape Coral | Jan 16 | Jan 13 (next winter) | 362 | 10b | Ft Myers Page Fld Airport, FL, 9 mi |
| Tallahassee | Mar 11 | Nov 21 | 255 | 9a | Tallahassee, FL, 6 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b–11a | Ft Lauderdale Beach, FL, 3 mi |
| Pembroke Pines | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b–11a | Hollywood North Perry Airport, FL, 6 mi |
| Hollywood | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 11a | Hollywood, FL, 2 mi |
| Gainesville | Mar 3 | Dec 2 | 274 | 9a | Gainesville Rgnl Airport, FL, 4 mi |
| Miramar | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b–11a | Miami Opa Locka Airport, FL, 6 mi |
| Palm Bay | Jan 30 | Jan 11 (next winter) | 346 | 10a | Palm Bay, FL, 3 mi |
| Coral Springs | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b | Coral Springs, FL |
| West Palm Beach | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b | West Palm Beach Intl Airport, FL, 5 mi |
| Lakeland | Jan 26 | Jan 9 (next winter) | 348 | 9b–10a | Lakeland 2, FL, 6 mi |
| Pompano Beach | Too rare to date | Too rare to date | – | 10b–11a | Pompano Beach Airpark, FL, 2 mi |
| Clearwater | Jan 17 | Jan 14 (next winter) | 362 | 10a–10b | St Petersburg Intl Airport, FL, 7 mi |
Frost dates are the dates after (spring) or before (fall) which the chance of a 32°F freeze is below 50%, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for the weather station nearest each city’s center. Zones are from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the ZIP codes around each city; a range means nearby ZIP codes differ. Cities are the 20 largest by Census Bureau 2024 population estimates.
An average is not a guarantee. There’s still about a 1 in 2 chance of frost after the average last spring date. Many gardeners wait an extra week or two before setting out tomatoes, peppers and basil, and keep covers handy.
Planting dates for Jacksonville
Timed from Jacksonville’s average last frost of Feb 1, using University of New Hampshire Extension’s planting guidance. For your exact dates, enter your ZIP code in the calendar below.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Plant outside |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Dec 14 to Dec 28 | Feb 8 to Feb 15 |
| Peppers | Dec 7 to Dec 21 | Feb 15 |
| Lettuce | Nov 30 to Dec 7 | Jan 4 to Jan 11 |
| Broccoli | Nov 23 to Dec 7 | Jan 4 to Jan 18 |
| Cucumbers | Jan 11 to Jan 18 | Feb 8 to Feb 15 |
| Basil | Dec 21 to Jan 4 | Feb 15 |
When to plant, for your garden
Your seed-starting and planting dates, timed from your last spring frost. Full calendar, 12 crops.
Enter your ZIP code to look up your average last frost date and hardiness zone, or type the date in yourself.
Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023, ZIP code data from PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed Oct. 20, 2026.
More about frost dates
How to find your last frost date, and what your zone means · Full planting calendar · How to start seeds indoors
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