Hot Springs, AR Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Gardening in Hot Springs
The Spa City's thermal waters hint at the volcanic geology underlying the Ouachita Mountains. The protected valley location creates a warm pocket in the Arkansas highlands.
Your 218-day growing season benefits from the valley's thermal moderation. The Ouachita Mountains shelter the city from cold northern air. The rocky mountain soil needs amendment, but the climate is generous.
Hot Springs National Park proves nature thrives here. The surrounding Ouachita National Forest provides wild edibles — morels, ramps, and wild blackberries — that supplement garden production.
What This Means for Hot Springs Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Hot Springs is around March 28, and the average first fall frost arrives around November 1. That gives you approximately 218 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 Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs
Hot Springs's 218-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 Hot Springs.
More About Zone 7B
Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs (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 28). 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.