USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 44243 — ZIP 44243
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ravenna 2 S, OH (1,107 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In ZIP 44243, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Ravenna 2 S, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 189 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 25
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in ZIP 44243
Half of springs at Ravenna 2 S, OH see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date measure how much the end of the frost season moves from year to year.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 168 one year in ten. On average 126 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 2, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 12 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ravenna 2 S, 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 44243 →Compare ZIP 44243 with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Stow 4 SE, OH, 6 miles west of ZIP 44243, has a last frost 9 days later (April 30), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 21), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in ZIP 44243
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in ZIP 44243 usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ravenna 2 S, OH, 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44243
| 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 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 44243 is 3 miles from Ravenna 2 S, OH, which stands at 1,107 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 44240 (Kent). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44243 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.