USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 43988 — Scio, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cadiz, OH (1,260 ft), 11 miles southeast.
Updated
In Scio, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Cadiz, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 186 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 Scio
Half of springs at Cadiz, OH see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 166 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 10 days longer, to about May 1, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cadiz, 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 43988 →Compare Scio with another place →
Weather by month in Scio
July is the warmest month at Cadiz, OH, averaging 82°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 20°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 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,080 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,067) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 696. Precipitation totals 42.7 inches a year, most in June (4.6") 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 | 34 | 20 | 3.6 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Feb | 38 | 22 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 47 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.7 | 97% | 6 | 129 |
| May | 70 | 51 | 4.1 | 19% | 1 | 334 |
| Jun | 78 | 60 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 564 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 446 |
| Oct | 63 | 44 | 3.2 | 74% | 4 | 163 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 37 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cadiz, OH (1,260 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, 13 miles west of Scio and 400 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days later (April 29), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 15), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Scio, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Scio 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, 11 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 43988
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 43988 is 11 miles from Cadiz, OH, which stands at 1,260 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 43907 (Cadiz). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 43988 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.