USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43973 — Freeport, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Barnesville, OH (1,280 ft), 15 miles south.
Updated
In Freeport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Barnesville, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 177 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
- November 27
- Last snow
- March 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Freeport
Half of springs at Barnesville, OH see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 13 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, shorter than at 61% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 121 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 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Barnesville, 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 43973 →Compare Freeport with another place →
Weather by month in Freeport
July is the warmest month at Barnesville, OH, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 21°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,119 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (1,074) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 710.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 21 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 39 | 22 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 100% | 8 | 132 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 39% | 1 | 333 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 710 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 657 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 1% | 0 | 450 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 85% | 4 | 182 |
| Nov | 51 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 38 |
| Dec | 41 | 26 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Barnesville, OH (1,280 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, Dennison Wtr Wks, OH, 15 miles north of Freeport and 420 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days later (April 29), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 15), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Freeport, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Freeport usually arrives around November 27, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cadiz, OH, 15.6 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 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43973
| 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 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 43973 is 15 miles from Barnesville, OH, which stands at 1,280 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 43713 (Barnesville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43973 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.