Frost dates · USDA zone 8a
Frost dates for Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith, AR sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 25 and its first of fall around November 6 — a 224-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Mar 4 | Nov 21 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 25 | Nov 6 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 11 | Oct 23 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 224 days median, at least 202 in 9 years of 10, at least 248 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 11 and first of Nov 17.
Fort Smith planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 25) and median first frost (Nov 6) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 31 | Feb 25 | Jun 15 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 25 | Apr 24 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 11 | Mar 11 | Apr 25 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 25 | Apr 8 | Jun 7 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 28 | Apr 1 | Jun 15 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 14 | Apr 8 | Jul 12 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 28 | Apr 1 | Jun 15 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 28 | Apr 1 | Jun 20 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 28 | Apr 1 | Jun 20 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 11 | Mar 11 | May 20 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 11 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 11 | Apr 1 | Jun 15 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 11 | Apr 1 | Jun 20 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Fort Smith grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Fort Smith container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Fort Smith frost questions
When is the last frost in Fort Smith, AR?
The median last 32 °F freeze at FT SMITH RGNL AP, AR is March 25: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 11; nine years in ten, it comes after March 4. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Fort Smith, AR?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 6. One year in ten it arrives before October 23; nine years in ten, before November 21.
How long is the growing season in Fort Smith, AR?
224 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 202 days; one year in ten, at least 248 days.
What growing zone is Fort Smith, AR?
USDA hardiness zone 8a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 72903. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Fort Smith, AR?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 11 and transplant around Apr 1, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 11. First ripe fruit lands around Jun 15.
When should I plant peppers in Fort Smith, AR?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 28; transplant no earlier than Apr 1, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 15.
Nearby in Arkansas
- Fayettevillelast frost Apr 15
- Springdalelast frost Apr 4
- Rogerslast frost Apr 12
- Bentonvillelast frost Apr 12
- Conwaylast frost Apr 2
- Little Rocklast frost Mar 21
All Arkansas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →