USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 44062 — Middlefield, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hiram, OH (1,230 ft), 11 miles south.
Updated
In Middlefield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Hiram, OH).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 170 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 20
- Last snow
- March 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 62.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Middlefield
Half of springs at Hiram, OH see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 24% 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 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 138 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 11 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hiram, 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 44062 →Compare Middlefield with another place →
Weather by month in Middlefield
July is the warmest month at Hiram, OH, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 16°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,603 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 148 Ohio stations. 33% of them (865) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 632. Precipitation totals 44.1 inches a year, most in July (4.3") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 3.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 2.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 18 |
| Apr | 58 | 36 | 4.0 | 100% | 10 | 81 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.1 | 51% | 1 | 271 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 493 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 4.0 | 2% | 0 | 376 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.8 | 88% | 4 | 121 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 18 | 20 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hiram, OH (1,230 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, Chardon, OH, 12 miles northwest of Middlefield, has a last frost 4 days later (May 5), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 18), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Middlefield, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Middlefield usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around March 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hiram, OH, 10.8 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44062
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 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 44062 is 11 miles from Hiram, OH, which stands at 1,230 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44062 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.