USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 44830 — Fostoria, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tiffin, OH (740 ft), 13 miles east.
Updated
In Fostoria, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Tiffin, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 23
- 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
- December 7
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 29.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fostoria
Half of springs at Tiffin, OH see their last 32°F night by April 23; 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 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 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 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 123 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 2, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tiffin, 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 44830 →Compare Fostoria with another place →
Weather by month in Fostoria
July is the warmest month at Tiffin, OH, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°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 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,194 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 148 Ohio stations. 34% of them (1,095) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 736. Precipitation totals 38.6 inches a year, most in June (4.2") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 19 | 2.6 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 2.2 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 47 | 29 | 2.7 | 100% | 21 | 23 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 3.8 | 98% | 7 | 113 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 24% | <1 | 350 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.3 | 1% | <1 | 467 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 2.8 | 77% | 3 | 171 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 2.9 | 100% | 15 | 34 |
| Dec | 38 | 25 | 2.6 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tiffin, OH (740 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, Findlay Wpcc, OH, 15 miles southwest of Fostoria, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 22), a first frost 1 day later (October 24), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Fostoria, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fostoria usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tiffin, OH, 13.1 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 44830
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 44830 is 13 miles from Tiffin, OH, which stands at 740 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 44883 (Tiffin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 44830 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.