USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43440 — Marblehead, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sandusky, OH (584 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Marblehead, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Sandusky, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 209 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 25
- Last snow
- March 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 32.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marblehead
Half of springs at Sandusky, OH see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 97% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 190 one year in ten. On average 104 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 11 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 18 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 22 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sandusky, 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 43440 →Compare Marblehead with another place →
Weather by month in Marblehead
July is the warmest month at Sandusky, OH, averaging 82°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 87% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,338 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 148 Ohio stations. 33% of them (1,098) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 767. Precipitation totals 34.2 inches a year, most in April (3.8") and least in February (1.8"); 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 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 37 | 23 | 1.8 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 45 | 31 | 2.6 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
| Apr | 57 | 41 | 3.8 | 87% | 4 | 103 |
| May | 69 | 53 | 3.3 | 2% | 0 | 343 |
| Jun | 78 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Jul | 82 | 67 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 767 |
| Aug | 81 | 66 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Sep | 75 | 59 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 502 |
| Oct | 63 | 48 | 2.7 | 28% | <1 | 203 |
| Nov | 50 | 37 | 2.6 | 98% | 10 | 43 |
| Dec | 39 | 28 | 2.1 | 100% | 22 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sandusky, OH (584 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, Norwalk Wwtp, OH, 20 miles south of Marblehead, has a last frost 15 days later (April 25), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 25), a season 26 days shorter.
When it snows in Marblehead, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Marblehead usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Norwalk Wwtp, OH, 19.8 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 14 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43440
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 43440 is 6 miles from Sandusky, OH, which stands at 584 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 44870 (Sandusky). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43440 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.