Jonesboro, AR Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Gardening in Jonesboro
Northeast Arkansas Delta country — flat, fertile, and productive. Jonesboro sits on Crowley's Ridge, a geological anomaly that rises above the alluvial plain with loess soils of extraordinary fertility.
Zone 7a with 210 frost-free days. Crowley's Ridge soils are wind-deposited silt (loess) — deep, fertile, and well-drained. The delta surrounding the ridge is heavy clay bottomland. Both grow food generously.
Arkansas State University's agricultural programs serve the delta region. The local food culture draws on Southern and delta traditions — rice, soybeans, and catfish commercially; tomatoes, okra, and greens in home gardens.
What This Means for Jonesboro Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Jonesboro is around April 1, and the average first fall frost arrives around October 28. That gives you approximately 210 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 Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro
Jonesboro's 210-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 Jonesboro.
More About Zone 7A
Jonesboro is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7A, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 0°F to 5°F. View the full Zone 7A 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 Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro (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 (April 1). 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.