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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 43506 — Bryan, Ohio

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bryan 2 SE, OH (730 ft), 2 miles southeast.

Updated

In Bryan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Bryan 2 SE, OH).

Last spring frost
April 26

50% probability

First fall frost
October 17

50% probability

Growing season
170 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
November 22

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 2

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

17 of 17 observed

Snow per year
29.3"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Bryan

Half of springs at Bryan 2 SE, OH see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 77% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 138 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 6, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 14.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 23Apr 28May 1May 3May 6May 9May 12May 15May 20
32°FApr 14Apr 18Apr 21Apr 23Apr 26Apr 29May 2May 6May 11
28°FApr 4Apr 8Apr 12Apr 15Apr 17Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 30
24°FMar 21Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 7Apr 11Apr 14Apr 19
20°FMar 8Mar 14Mar 18Mar 22Mar 26Mar 29Mar 31Apr 4Apr 9
16°FFeb 26Mar 4Mar 7Mar 11Mar 14Mar 17Mar 21Mar 26Mar 31
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 22Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 30
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bryan 2 SE, 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 43506 →Compare Bryan with another place →

Frost risk through the year in Bryan

Frost curve for Bryan, Ohio (Bryan 2 SE, OH, NOAA 1991–2020): the chance of another 32°F night falls from 90% on April 14 to 50% on April 26 and 10% on May 11; the chance that the first fall one has come rises from 10% on October 3 to 50% on October 17 and 90% on October 30.

In Bryan, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 11 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 3, 145 days later; that gap is shorter than at 71% of the 148 Ohio stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 27 days (April 14 to May 11) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 27 days (October 3 to October 30): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Montpelier, OH, 9 miles northwest, the same gap runs from May 12 to October 4, the same length.

Chance of a frost after each planting date in Bryan
Planted onAnother 32°F night28°F night
Apr 12over 90%70%
Apr 1977%40%
Apr 2650% date50%18%
May 328%under 10%
May 1012%under 10%
May 17under 10%under 10%

Weather by month in Bryan

July is the warmest month at Bryan 2 SE, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 34% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,015 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (1,035) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 730. Precipitation totals 37.4 inches a year, most in May (4.0") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bryan 2 SE, OH
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan32172.5100%291
Feb36182.2100%261
Mar46272.8100%2321
Apr60373.7100%987
May71494.034%<1331
Jun81594.00%0596
Jul85623.90%0730
Aug82603.30%0654
Sep76523.36%<1430
Oct64412.693%5149
Nov49302.9100%1915
Dec38232.2100%272

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bryan 2 SE, OH (730 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, Montpelier, OH, 9 miles northwest of Bryan, has a last frost 2 days later (April 28), a first frost 1 day later (October 18), a season 3 days longer.

Frost dates for 43543 (Montpelier) →

When it snows in Bryan, Ohio

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bryan usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stryker, OH, 8.2 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 24 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 43506

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Bryan, Ohio
WhenWhat to do
February 15 – March 1Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 1 – March 15Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 29 – April 12Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 26 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 25Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 3Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 17 onwardPlant 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 43506 is 2 miles from Bryan 2 SE, OH, which stands at 730 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43506 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.

Frost dates across Ohio →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6a places in Ohio