USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43725 — Cambridge, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cambridge, OH (800 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Cambridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 15 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 172 days (NOAA, Cambridge, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 172 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
- December 20
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 17.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cambridge
Half of springs at Cambridge, OH see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 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, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 111 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 12 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cambridge, 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 43725 →Compare Cambridge with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Cambridge
In Cambridge, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 15 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 3, 141 days later; that gap is shorter than at 79% of the 148 Ohio stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 32 days (April 13 to May 15) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (October 3 to October 28): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Zanesville Municipal Airport, OH, 17 miles west, the same gap runs from May 14 to October 6, 4 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 14 | 88% | 53% |
| Apr 21 | 70% | 30% |
| Apr 2850% date | 50% | 13% |
| May 5 | 28% | under 10% |
| May 12 | 15% | under 10% |
| May 19 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Cambridge
July is the warmest month at Cambridge, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 21°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,372 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 67% of the 148 Ohio stations. 37% of them (1,233) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 741. Precipitation totals 41.4 inches a year, most in June (4.5") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 3.3 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.4 | 100% | 22 | 6 |
| Mar | 53 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 46 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 3.8 | 99% | 6 | 173 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 4.2 | 40% | <1 | 397 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.5 | 5% | 0 | 474 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 2.9 | 94% | 4 | 182 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 14 | 38 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 3.0 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cambridge, OH (800 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, Zanesville Municipal Airport, OH, 17 miles west of Cambridge, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 2 days later (October 19), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Cambridge, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cambridge usually arrives around December 20, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cambridge, OH, 1.2 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 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43725
| 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 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 43725 is 1 mile from Cambridge, OH, which stands at 800 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 43725 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.