USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 45015 — Hamilton, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH (634 ft), 1 miles east.
Updated
In Hamilton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 178 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 24
- Last snow
- February 7
- Winters with snow
- 75%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hamilton
Half of springs at Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 115 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 10 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 8 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hamilton Butler Co 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 45015 →Compare Hamilton with another place →
Weather by month in Hamilton
July is the warmest month at Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH, averaging 87°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,637 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 148 Ohio stations. 37% of them (1,344) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 792. Precipitation totals 41.5 inches a year, most in April (4.6") and least in February (2.4"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 2.9 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Mar | 54 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 57 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 4.6 | 96% | 5 | 187 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.6 | 27% | <1 | 426 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 655 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 3.0 | 3% | 0 | 502 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.2 | 93% | 5 | 197 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 3.2 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH (634 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, Fairfield, OH, 2 miles southwest of Hamilton, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 4 days later (October 22), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Hamilton, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hamilton usually arrives around December 24, and the last of the season around February 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fairfield, OH, 2.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 75% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 74 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 45015
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 45015 is 1 mile from Hamilton Butler Co Regional Airport, OH, which stands at 634 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 45011 (Hamilton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 45015 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.