USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 44646 — Massillon, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH (1,208 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Massillon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 184 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 10
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 47.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Massillon
Half of springs at Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 11 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 161 one year in ten. On average 120 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 9 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Akron Canton Regional 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 44646 →Compare Massillon with another place →
Weather by month in Massillon
July is the warmest month at Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 20°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 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,247 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,134) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 739. Precipitation totals 41.4 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 20 | 2.9 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Feb | 39 | 22 | 2.4 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 3.2 | 100% | 20 | 34 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 3.9 | 98% | 8 | 132 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 29% | <1 | 361 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Sep | 76 | 55 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 464 |
| Oct | 63 | 44 | 3.3 | 67% | 3 | 175 |
| Nov | 51 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 38 |
| Dec | 40 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH (1,208 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, Akron Fulton International Airport, OH, 16 miles north of Massillon and 164 feet lower, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days later (October 28), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Massillon, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Massillon usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH, 8.5 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44646
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 44646 is 9 miles from Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH, which stands at 1,208 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 22 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44646 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.