USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 45320 — Eaton, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eaton, OH (1,002 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Eaton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Eaton, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 176 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
- December 28
- Last snow
- March 6
- Winters with snow
- 94%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eaton
Half of springs at Eaton, OH see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 77% of the 148 Ohio stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 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 10 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eaton, 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 45320 →Compare Eaton with another place →
Weather by month in Eaton
July is the warmest month at Eaton, OH, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 17°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,205 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 148 Ohio stations. 35% of them (1,126) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 724. Precipitation totals 43.1 inches a year, most in May (4.8") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 17 | 3.1 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 40 | 19 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 3.6 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 4.5 | 99% | 7 | 126 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 4.8 | 34% | 1 | 359 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 605 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.0 | 3% | <1 | 468 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.2 | 88% | 4 | 172 |
| Nov | 52 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 17 | 32 |
| Dec | 41 | 23 | 3.2 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eaton, OH (1,002 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, Richmond Wtr Wks, IN, 14 miles northwest of Eaton, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 24), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Eaton, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eaton usually arrives around December 28, and the last of the season around March 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Eaton, OH, 1.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 94% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 45320
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 45320 is 1 mile from Eaton, OH, which stands at 1,002 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 45320 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.