USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 43357 — West Liberty, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bellefontaine, OH (1,176 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In West Liberty, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Bellefontaine, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 175 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 16
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Liberty
Half of springs at Bellefontaine, OH see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 12 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 127 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 9 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bellefontaine, 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 43357 →Compare West Liberty with another place →
Weather by month in West Liberty
July is the warmest month at Bellefontaine, OH, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 18°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,138 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,100) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 707. Precipitation totals 42.7 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 2.5 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 3.2 | 100% | 21 | 32 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 4.1 | 99% | 8 | 120 |
| May | 71 | 51 | 4.3 | 35% | <1 | 353 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.2 | 4% | 0 | 459 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 2.8 | 90% | 5 | 171 |
| Nov | 50 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 16 | 34 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 3.1 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bellefontaine, OH (1,176 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, Urbana Wwtp, OH, 11 miles south of West Liberty and 157 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 19), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in West Liberty, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Liberty usually arrives around December 16, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Huntsville 3N, OH, 15.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43357
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 43357 is 7 miles from Bellefontaine, OH, which stands at 1,176 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 43311 (Bellefontaine). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43357 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.