USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 45505 — Springfield, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Springfield Wtp, OH (951 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Springfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Springfield Wtp, OH).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 175 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 9
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 18.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Springfield
Half of springs at Springfield Wtp, OH see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 12 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 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 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Springfield Wtp, 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 45505 →Compare Springfield with another place →
Weather by month in Springfield
July is the warmest month at Springfield Wtp, OH, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,154 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 148 Ohio stations. 36% of them (1,122) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 708. Precipitation totals 40.3 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in February (2.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 2.7 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 40 | 20 | 2.1 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 2.9 | 100% | 21 | 35 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 4.0 | 99% | 8 | 127 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 4.6 | 34% | 1 | 353 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Sep | 78 | 52 | 3.4 | 5% | <1 | 451 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 2.8 | 89% | 5 | 168 |
| Nov | 52 | 31 | 2.8 | 100% | 17 | 34 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Springfield Wtp, OH (951 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, Urbana Wwtp, OH, 13 miles north of Springfield, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 24), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Springfield, Ohio
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Springfield usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at New Carlisle, OH, 13.2 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 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 45505
| 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 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 45505 is 5 miles from Springfield Wtp, OH, which stands at 951 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 45503 (Springfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 45505 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.