Arkansas completes one of longer growing seasons
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Many of Arkansas' farm fields saw their first freeze of the season Tuesday, wrapping up one of the longer growing seasons in the state's history.
At Little Rock, the temperature dropped to 32 for the first time since Feb. 20. The 267 days between freezes make up the 10th-longest growing season in the area's history. The longest on record was 281 days in 1905.
The Feb. 20 last-freeze date is the second earliest last freeze on record, behind Feb. 19, 1883. The latest first-freeze was Dec. 9, 1998.
Despite the long season, not all was well in the fields. Parts of Arkansas suffered a drought, then came heavy rains from Hurricane Isaac and other storms.
Arkansas had growing seasons of fewer than 200 days in 1898, 1957 and 1989.
