USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 45211 — Cincinnati, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cheviot, OH (891 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Cincinnati, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 5 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 191 days (NOAA, Cheviot, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 191 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 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 16"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cincinnati
Half of springs at Cheviot, OH see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 211 days one year in ten and falls short of 168 one year in ten. On average 106 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 12 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cheviot, 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 45211 →Compare Cincinnati with another place →
Weather by month in Cincinnati
July is the warmest month at Cheviot, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 22°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 19% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,702 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 148 Ohio stations. 37% of them (1,351) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 787. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in May (5.2") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 22 | 3.6 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Feb | 42 | 25 | 3.2 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Mar | 52 | 33 | 4.5 | 100% | 16 | 57 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 4.9 | 92% | 4 | 190 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 5.2 | 19% | <1 | 429 |
| Jun | 82 | 62 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 658 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 3.3 | 1% | 0 | 526 |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.5 | 70% | 2 | 222 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 13 | 51 |
| Dec | 42 | 27 | 4.0 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cheviot, OH (891 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, Cheviot 3 W, OH, 4 miles west of Cincinnati, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 16), a first frost 2 days later (October 28), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Cincinnati, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cincinnati usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cheviot, OH, 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 45211
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 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 45211 is 1 mile from Cheviot, OH, which stands at 891 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 14 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 45238 (Cincinnati). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 45211 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.