USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 43515 — Delta, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wauseon Wtp, OH (750 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Delta, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Wauseon Wtp, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 170 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 5
- Last snow
- March 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 26.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Delta
Half of springs at Wauseon Wtp, OH see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 24% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 13 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 146 one year in ten. On average 137 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 9, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 22 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wauseon Wtp, 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 43515 →Compare Delta with another place →
Weather by month in Delta
July is the warmest month at Wauseon Wtp, OH, averaging 84°F by day and 61°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 August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,856 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (966) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 690. Precipitation totals 35.3 inches a year, most in May (3.9") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.2 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 16 |
| Apr | 59 | 36 | 3.2 | 99% | 9 | 82 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | 41% | 1 | 303 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 3.7 | 1% | 0 | 564 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 1% | <1 | 690 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 | 3.0 | 10% | <1 | 417 |
| Oct | 63 | 41 | 2.7 | 90% | 5 | 139 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 2.7 | 100% | 18 | 19 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 2.3 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wauseon Wtp, OH (750 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, Toledo Express Airport, OH, 11 miles east of Delta, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 8 days later (October 24), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Delta, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Delta usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wauseon Wtp, OH, 8.5 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43515
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 43515 is 9 miles from Wauseon Wtp, OH, which stands at 750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 43567 (Wauseon). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43515 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.