USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 43078 — Urbana, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Urbana Wwtp, OH (1,019 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Urbana, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Urbana Wwtp, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 179 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 9
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 18.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Urbana
Half of springs at Urbana Wwtp, OH see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 121 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 10 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Urbana Wwtp, OH, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 43078 →Compare Urbana with another place →
Weather by month in Urbana
July is the warmest month at Urbana Wwtp, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,173 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,116) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 730. Precipitation totals 44.0 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 3.1 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 2.3 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 3.3 | 100% | 20 | 30 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 4.3 | 98% | 7 | 122 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.9 | 30% | <1 | 352 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 607 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.3 | 2% | 0 | 452 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 2.9 | 85% | 4 | 160 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 16 | 31 |
| Dec | 40 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Urbana Wwtp, OH (1,019 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Springfield Wtp, OH, 10 miles south of Urbana, has a last frost 1 day later (April 25), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Urbana, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Urbana usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at New Carlisle, OH, 18.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43078
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 43078 is 1 mile from Urbana Wwtp, OH, which stands at 1,019 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43078 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.