Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Tampa, FL
Tampa, FL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 20 and its first of fall around January 12 (next year) — a 365-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 | Dec 27 (prior winter) | Feb 5 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 20 | Jan 12 (next year) |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 10 | Dec 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: 365 days median, at least 335 in 9 years of 10, no freeze at all in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above.
Tampa planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 20) and median first frost (Jan 12) 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) | Oct 28 | Dec 23 | Apr 12 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 20 | Feb 19 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 6 | Jan 6 | Feb 20 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 23 | Feb 3 | Apr 4 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 25 | Jan 27 | Apr 12 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 11 | Feb 3 | May 9 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 25 | Jan 27 | Apr 12 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 25 | Jan 27 | Apr 17 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 25 | Jan 27 | Apr 17 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 6 | Jan 6 | Mar 17 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 9 | Jan 27 | Apr 7 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 9 | Jan 27 | Apr 12 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 9 | Jan 27 | Apr 17 | 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 Tampa grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Tampa container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Tampa frost questions
When is the last frost in Tampa, FL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at TAMPA INTL AP, FL is January 20: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 10; nine years in ten, it comes after December 27 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Tampa, FL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is January 12 (next year). One year in ten it arrives before December 23; nine years in ten, before February 5 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Tampa, FL?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at TAMPA INTL AP, FL in a typical year. What limits a sauce garden here is heat: peppers and tomatoes drop flowers in sustained hot nights, so plant to finish before peak summer or after it breaks.
What growing zone is Tampa, FL?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 33603. 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 Tampa, FL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 9 and transplant around Jan 27, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 10. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 12.
When should I plant peppers in Tampa, FL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 25; transplant no earlier than Jan 27, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 12.
Nearby in Florida
- Pinellas Parklast frost Jan 17
- St. Petersburglast frost Jan 17
- Clearwaterlast frost Jan 17
- Largolast frost Jan 17
- Plant Citylast frost Jan 30
- Lakelandlast frost Jan 26
All Florida frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →