USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43952 — Steubenville, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Steubenville, OH (992 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Steubenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Steubenville, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 175 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 13
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 87%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Steubenville
Half of springs at Steubenville, OH see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 53% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 116 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 8, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Steubenville, 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 43952 →Compare Steubenville with another place →
Weather by month in Steubenville
July is the warmest month at Steubenville, OH, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 19°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,047 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (1,047) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 704. Precipitation totals 43.2 inches a year, most in June (4.9") and least in February (2.5"); 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 | 19 | 3.5 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 40 | 21 | 2.5 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.2 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 99% | 7 | 120 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.3 | 42% | 1 | 331 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 704 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 446 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.4 | 90% | 2 | 153 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 3.2 | 100% | 14 | 30 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 3.2 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Steubenville, OH (992 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, New Cumberland L/D, WV, 11 miles north of Steubenville and 317 feet lower, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 22), a first frost 8 days later (October 28), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Steubenville, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Steubenville usually arrives around December 13, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Steubenville, OH, 0.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 87% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 62 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43952
| 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 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 43952 is under a mile from Steubenville, OH, which stands at 992 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 26062 (Weirton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43952 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.