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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 45690 — Waverly, Ohio

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Waverly, OH (572 ft), 1 miles southeast.

Updated

In Waverly, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Waverly, OH).

Last spring frost
April 21

50% probability

First fall frost
October 22

50% probability

Growing season
182 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 22

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 28

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

28 of 28 observed

Snow per year
11.5"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Waverly

Half of springs at Waverly, OH see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 148 Ohio stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 124 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 1, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 5.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 17Apr 21Apr 25Apr 29May 1May 5May 8May 13May 17
32°FApr 4Apr 10Apr 14Apr 18Apr 21Apr 25Apr 30May 3May 9
28°FMar 23Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 9Apr 13Apr 16Apr 21Apr 30
24°FMar 9Mar 16Mar 20Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 12
20°FFeb 25Mar 4Mar 8Mar 12Mar 16Mar 19Mar 23Mar 28Apr 1
16°FFeb 9Feb 18Feb 25Mar 1Mar 5Mar 8Mar 12Mar 16Mar 22
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5Dec 14
16°FNov 13Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 30

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Waverly, 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 45690 →Compare Waverly with another place →

Weather by month in Waverly

July is the warmest month at Waverly, OH, averaging 86°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°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 26% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,634 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 148 Ohio stations. 37% of them (1,333) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 790. Precipitation totals 43.7 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 45% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waverly, OH
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan40223.2100%267
Feb44243.1100%249
Mar54314.3100%2048
Apr66414.194%7182
May75524.426%1424
Jun83614.40%0663
Jul86654.20%0790
Aug85633.50%0741
Sep80553.04%<1514
Oct68433.280%6203
Nov55322.9100%1842
Dec44273.4100%2411

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Waverly, OH (572 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, Jackson 3 NW, OH, 16 miles east of Waverly and 273 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day later (April 22), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 21), a season 1 day shorter.

Frost dates for 45640 (Jackson) →

When it snows in Waverly, Ohio

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Waverly usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around February 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Waverly, OH, 1.4 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 52 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 45690

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Waverly, Ohio
WhenWhat to do
February 10 – February 24Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 24 – March 10Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 24 – April 7Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 21 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 30Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 8Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 22 onwardPlant 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 45690 is 1 mile from Waverly, OH, which stands at 572 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 45690 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.

Frost dates across Ohio →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Ohio