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When to plant in Pensacola, FL

USDA Zone 9a

Pensacola, Florida frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

Pensacola enjoys a long ~298-day frost-free season — you can succession-sow, fit in a second crop, and grow long-season heat-lovers with room to spare. Zone 9a is warm enough that Pensacola can grow subtropical perennials, and the short (or absent) frost period barely limits the annual calendar.

Station · PENSACOLA RGNL AP · 4.1 km
Last spring frost
February 14
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
December 9
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
298 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for PensacolaA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Pensacola: last spring frost around February 14, first fall frost around December 9, about 298 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average last spring frost in Pensacola is now 5 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

PENSACOLA RGNL AP · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Pensacola’s own odds, recorded at PENSACOLA RGNL AP.

Frost-probability curves for PensacolaProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around February 14 and the first fall frost around December 9, giving about 298 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMar 21Mar 2Feb 8Nov 8Nov 25Dec 18
32°FMar 11Feb 14Jan 21Nov 17Dec 9Jan 10
28°FFeb 28Jan 31Jan 2Dec 2Jan 1Jan 31

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19

Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.

Add the next planting windows to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Pensacola, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 16 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

PENSACOLA RGNL AP
Primary
4 km · 34 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 14
FALL
Dec 9
PENSACOLA 7 NNE
10 km · 35 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 17
FALL
Dec 9
PENSACOLA FOREST SHERMAN NAS
16 km · 9 m elevation
SPRING
Feb 28
FALL
Nov 29

Pensacola planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Pensacola, FL?

Plan for the last spring frost in Pensacola around February 14 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Pensacola, FL?

The first fall frost in Pensacola typically arrives around December 9 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Pensacola in?

Pensacola is in USDA hardiness zone 9a. In zone 9a, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.

How long is the growing season in Pensacola?

There are roughly 298 frost-free days in Pensacola (a long growing season), running from the average last frost around February 14 to the first fall frost near December 9.

When should I plant tomatoes in Pensacola?

In Pensacola, start tomato seeds indoors around December 20–January 3, then transplant seedlings outdoors around February 21 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Pensacola

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Pensacola’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at PENSACOLA RGNL AP, 4 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Pensacola, FL — Frost Dates & Zone 9a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00013899. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/florida/pensacola.