USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 43543 — Montpelier, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Montpelier, OH (860 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Montpelier, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Montpelier, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 173 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
- November 25
- Last snow
- March 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 32.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Montpelier
Half of springs at Montpelier, OH see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 145 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 7, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Montpelier, 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 43543 →Compare Montpelier with another place →
Weather by month in Montpelier
July is the warmest month at Montpelier, OH, averaging 83°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 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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,876 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (972) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 696. Precipitation totals 37.9 inches a year, most in May (4.3") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.4 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 2.2 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 26 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 19 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 100% | 11 | 84 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 4.3 | 40% | 1 | 301 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 3.1 | 5% | <1 | 413 |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 2.8 | 87% | 7 | 139 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.1 | 100% | 19 | 20 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 2.4 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Montpelier, OH (860 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, Bryan 2 SE, OH, 11 miles southeast of Montpelier, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 17), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Montpelier, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Montpelier usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Montpelier, OH, 1.6 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43543
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 43543 is 2 miles from Montpelier, OH, which stands at 860 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43543 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.