Frost Dates
Frost Dates · Florida

Frost dates for Lakeland, Florida

Florida · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals

Typical last spring freeze (32°F)
January 26
median date, 1991–2020
Typical first fall freeze (32°F)
January 9
median date, 1991–2020
Typical frost-free season
348 days
between the median dates

In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Lakeland comes near January 26 and the first fall freeze near January 9. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after February 21 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by December 20. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 349 days.

JFMAMJJASONDJanuary 26January 9
The year at a glance: blue bands span the 9-in-10 to 1-in-10 range where the last spring / first fall 32°F freeze lands; the green band is the typical frost-free window between the median dates. Measured at Lakeland 2, FL (USC00084802), 5.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 139 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals.

Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds

ThresholdLast spring — 9 in 10 years past byLast spring — typical (median)Last spring — 1 in 10 years later thanFirst fall — 1 in 10 years byFirst fall — typical (median)First fall — 9 in 10 years by
36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur)January 11February 8March 8December 3December 30January 26
32°F — freezingJanuary 2January 26February 21December 20January 9February 4
28°F — hard freezeDecember 30January 17February 5December 28January 13February 2

Measured at Lakeland 2, FL (USC00084802), 5.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 139 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.

Frost-free windows (computed)

Window (32°F ends)OpensClosesLength
Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end)February 21December 20302 days
Typical (median freeze dates)January 26January 9348 days
Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end)January 2February 4365 days (effectively year-round at this risk level)

Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.

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