USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43845 — West Lafayette, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH (760 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In West Lafayette, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 174 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 8
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 15.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Lafayette
Half of springs at Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 6 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 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, shorter than at 74% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 123 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 6, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Coshocton Wpc Plt, 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 43845 →Compare West Lafayette with another place →
Weather by month in West Lafayette
July is the warmest month at Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH, averaging 83°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 20°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,102 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,098) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 708. Precipitation totals 43.7 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 20 | 3.2 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 30 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 4.2 | 99% | 7 | 133 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 4.3 | 38% | 1 | 353 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 574 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.2 | 3% | <1 | 438 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 3.1 | 92% | 5 | 158 |
| Nov | 52 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 30 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 3.2 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH (760 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, Coshocton Ag Rsch Stn, OH, 8 miles north of West Lafayette and 380 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 18), a first frost 10 days later (October 28), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in West Lafayette, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Lafayette usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH, 7.1 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43845
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 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 43845 is 7 miles from Coshocton Wpc Plt, OH, which stands at 760 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 43812 (Coshocton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43845 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.