USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 44085 — Rome, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dorset, OH (980 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Rome, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 10 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 154 days (NOAA, Dorset, OH).
- Last spring frost
- May 10
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 154 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 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 Rome
Half of springs at Dorset, OH see their last 32°F night by May 10; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 27 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 154 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 176 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 142 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 22, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dorset, 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 44085 →Compare Rome with another place →
Weather by month in Rome
July is the warmest month at Dorset, OH, averaging 81°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,495 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 148 Ohio stations. 33% of them (825) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 608. Precipitation totals 47.0 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 3.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 2.6 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 3.0 | 100% | 24 | 18 |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 3.9 | 100% | 13 | 78 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 4.0 | 75% | 3 | 255 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 5.0 | 4% | <1 | 472 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 4.5 | 19% | 1 | 358 |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 4.4 | 92% | 6 | 118 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 21 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 3.7 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dorset, OH (980 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, Ashtabula Co Airport, OH, 14 miles northeast of Rome, has a last frost 8 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 11 days later (October 21), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Rome, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Rome 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, 10 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44085
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 1 – March 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 12 – April 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 44085 is 10 miles from Dorset, OH, which stands at 980 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 44076 (Orwell). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44085 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.