![]() All you need to do is enter your zip code on top of this page and it will locate your area and tell you the estimated first and last frost dates. Which is why to get more accurate dates with wider probabilistic ranges, you can use our tool that consolidates information from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). It is easy to use, but it can be less accurate. Using the hardiness zone is the simplified method to find your frost dates. This means acting under the assumption that the last frost date of the spring will happen two weeks later than calculated, and the first frost date of the fall will happen two weeks earlier than the estimate. ZoneĪs an extra precaution, it is a good idea to assume a difference of two weeks from scheduled frost dates so that you are not caught off-guard. Then, you can use this handy list to check the first and last frost dates for your zone. Click on your state to zoom in or enter your zip code to find the zone number of your specific area.įrost dates can vary widely within each state and county so it is important to find the correct zone for exactly where you will be planting. You can do this by using our planting zone map tool. To find the average frost dates for your region, you first need to determine your hardiness zone or planting zone. There are two ways to find out the frost dates in your area, we’ll talk both methods along with the pros and cons. These include squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, basil, corn, beans, melons, and eggplants. Varieties that require transplanting, meaning that the seeds need to be started indoors before moving them to the garden, are very susceptible to frost damage, so it is imperative to wait to transplant them until there is no longer any danger of the temperature dropping below freezing. Slightly less hardy varieties that will thrive when planted a week or two before the last frost of the season include kale, mint, broccoli, cabbage, beets, carrots, dill, radishes, cilantro, celery, potatoes, and lettuce. Peas, onions, and spinach are the hardiest so you can plant them as soon as the soil in your garden is soft enough to begin working with. Some plants are so hardy that they will not be harmed by a light or moderate freeze, so you can start these varieties as early as possible and leave them in the ground as late as possible. If you plant in succession, frost dates become more important because you will need to start your first garden as early as possible. A ‘severe freeze’ is almost always fatal to all garden plants, and it occurs when temperatures are lower than 24 degrees Fahrenheit.Īs a gardener who worked so hard on your beautiful garden, it is important to know when you need to take steps to preserve perennials and harvest annuals so the cold weather will not destroy them.įrost dates data will also tell you when you need to start seeds and help you choose the correct plants for your area that will grow best under the temperature conditions you experience. A ‘moderate freeze’ will damage most plants in your garden except the hardiest, and it occurs with temperatures between 25-28 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures drop to a range of 29-30 degrees Fahrenheit, a ‘light freeze’ will damage delicate plants. Why is it important to know your frost dates as a gardener? ![]() It is difficult to estimate when you will experience the first or last frost of the year without using data gathered over many years by the USDA and NOAA (which we use in our tool above). The dates in-between the last and first frost dates are days when it is safe to plant and when you should harvest your last vegetables of the season. It is hard to pinpoint an exact date so it is wise to assume that freezing temperatures are possible two weeks before the first frost date and two weeks after the last. ![]() These dates vary depending on various factors like latitude and longitude, altitude, and weather patterns that change yearly. In spring, we have a ‘last frost date’, and in the fall we have a ‘first frost date’. Pin it:įrost dates are the day of the year when it is calculated to be 50% likely that the temperature will dip below freezing, resulting in frost on the ground. Empty cells indicate very small to zero chance of frost. Using a lower probability means you have lower risk of unexpected forst damage but shorter gardening days in a year. Probability level (90%, 50%, 10%) is the chance of the temperature to go below the threshold after the last frost date or before the first frost date. Data provided by the National Centers for Environmental Information.
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