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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 44094 — Willoughby, Ohio

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kirtland-Holden 2, OH (1,030 ft), 5 miles east.

Updated

In Willoughby, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Kirtland-Holden 2, OH).

Last spring frost
April 26

50% probability

First fall frost
October 31

50% probability

Growing season
184 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 3

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 25

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

22 of 22 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Willoughby

Half of springs at Kirtland-Holden 2, OH see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 14 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 31 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 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 11 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 13 and March 15.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 23Apr 28Apr 30May 3May 7May 10May 14May 19May 24
32°FApr 11Apr 17Apr 21Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 2May 6May 14
28°FMar 31Apr 4Apr 8Apr 12Apr 16Apr 18Apr 22Apr 24Apr 30
24°FMar 19Mar 24Mar 29Apr 1Apr 4Apr 6Apr 10Apr 15Apr 19
20°FMar 9Mar 14Mar 17Mar 21Mar 25Mar 29Mar 31Apr 3Apr 9
16°FFeb 27Mar 3Mar 8Mar 11Mar 15Mar 17Mar 20Mar 25Mar 31
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Nov 1
32°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
28°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 16Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kirtland-Holden 2, 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 44094 →Compare Willoughby with another place →

Weather by month in Willoughby

July is the warmest month at Kirtland-Holden 2, OH, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°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 35% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,913 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 148 Ohio stations. 33% of them (957) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 682. Precipitation totals 48.2 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kirtland-Holden 2, OH
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan34193.5100%271
Feb36202.7100%252
Mar45283.3100%2224
Apr58384.198%9103
May69494.135%1296
Jun77584.00%0531
Jul82625.20%0682
Aug80614.40%0631
Sep74554.60%0436
Oct62453.952%2168
Nov49354.1100%1334
Dec39254.3100%265

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kirtland-Holden 2, OH (1,030 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, Painesville 4 NW, OH, 10 miles northeast of Willoughby and 430 feet lower, has a last frost 11 days earlier (April 15), a first frost 9 days later (November 9), a season 25 days longer.

Frost dates for 44060 (Mentor) →

When it snows in Willoughby, Ohio

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Willoughby usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Painesville 4 NW, OH, 10.3 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 32 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 44094

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Willoughby, Ohio
WhenWhat to do
February 15 – March 1Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 1 – March 15Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 29 – April 12Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 26 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 8Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 17Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 31 onwardPlant 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 44094 is 5 miles from Kirtland-Holden 2, OH, which stands at 1,030 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44094 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.

Frost dates across Ohio →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Ohio