Fort Smith, AR Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Gardening in Fort Smith
The Gateway to the Ozarks sits on the Arkansas River where the mountains meet the river valley. Fort Smith's western Arkansas location gives it slightly different growing conditions than the rest of the state.
Zone 7b with 225 frost-free days. The Arkansas River bottomland is fertile and productive. Western Arkansas is slightly drier and less humid than the eastern delta, which reduces disease pressure on summer crops.
Fort Smith's frontier heritage extends to a practical food-growing culture. The city's diverse community — including a significant Marshallese population — brings Pacific Island gardening traditions to river valley soil.
What This Means for Fort Smith Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Fort Smith is around March 25, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 5. That gives you approximately 225 frost-free days to work with.
That's a generous season. You have time for full-size tomatoes, long-season peppers, and even watermelons without the anxiety of racing the frost. Start warm-season seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost to hit the ground running. Fall planting is your second opportunity — garlic, kale, lettuce, and broccoli all go in 8-10 weeks before your first frost for harvest into late autumn.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Fort Smith area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Fort Smith
Fort Smith's 225-day growing season is generous — long enough for two full growing windows (spring and fall) with warm-season crops between them. You can grow the full range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with proper timing. Focus on heat-tolerant varieties for midsummer and cool-season crops for extended fall harvests. Recommended starting points: tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, garlic, kale, and sunflowers.
See the full Arkansas planting guide for all 40 plants: Arkansas Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Fort Smith.
More About Zone 7B
Fort Smith is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 5°F to 10°F. View the full Zone 7B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for Arkansas: Arkansas Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in Arkansas
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Fort Smith area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Fort Smith (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
Cool-season crops go in 3-4 weeks before your last frost (March 25). Warm-season crops wait until 2 weeks after. You have time for a fall round too — plant cool-season crops again in late summer for harvest into autumn. Enter your zip code for exact dates.