USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 44004 — Ashtabula, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ashtabula Co Airport, OH (924 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Ashtabula, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 171 days (NOAA, Ashtabula Co Airport, OH).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 171 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 13
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 89.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ashtabula
Half of springs at Ashtabula Co Airport, OH see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 171 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 124 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 14, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ashtabula Co Airport, 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 44004 →Compare Ashtabula with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Ashtabula
In Ashtabula, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 20 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 4, 137 days later; that gap is shorter than at 88% of the 148 Ohio stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 32 days (April 18 to May 20) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 32 days (October 4 to November 5): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Dorset, OH, 15 miles southeast, the same gap runs from May 27 to September 26, 15 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 18 | over 90% | 60% |
| Apr 25 | 73% | 37% |
| May 250% date | 50% | 17% |
| May 9 | 30% | under 10% |
| May 16 | 18% | under 10% |
| May 23 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Ashtabula
July is the warmest month at Ashtabula Co Airport, OH, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,608 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 148 Ohio stations. 33% of them (856) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 632. Precipitation totals 37.3 inches a year, most in July (4.3") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 19 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 1.7 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 18 |
| Apr | 58 | 36 | 3.4 | 100% | 10 | 81 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.3 | 55% | 1 | 265 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 3.9 | 5% | <1 | 374 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 3.7 | 77% | 2 | 135 |
| Nov | 49 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 13 | 27 |
| Dec | 38 | 26 | 2.3 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ashtabula Co Airport, OH (924 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, Dorset, OH, 14 miles southeast of Ashtabula, has a last frost 8 days later (May 10), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 10), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Ashtabula, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ashtabula usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dorset, OH, 14.5 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44004
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 44004 is 8 miles from Ashtabula Co Airport, OH, which stands at 924 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44004 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.