USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 63017 — Chesterfield, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Charles 7 SSW, MO (450 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Chesterfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, St Charles 7 SSW, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 14
- Last snow
- February 17
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 8.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chesterfield
Half of springs at St Charles 7 SSW, MO see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 66% of the 158 Missouri stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 186 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 16, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 11 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Charles 7 SSW, MO, 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 63017 →Compare Chesterfield with another place →
Weather by month in Chesterfield
July is the warmest month at St Charles 7 SSW, MO, averaging 89°F by day and 69°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 March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,318 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,614) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 899. Precipitation totals 42.4 inches a year, most in May (5.2") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 2.6 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 2.2 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 15 | 79 |
| Apr | 67 | 46 | 4.6 | 66% | 3 | 242 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 5.2 | 0% | <1 | 515 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 1% | <1 | 591 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.2 | 61% | 3 | 279 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.5 | 100% | 13 | 77 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 2.5 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Charles 7 SSW, MO (450 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, St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO, 6 miles west of Chesterfield, has a last frost 8 days later (April 12), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 23), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Chesterfield, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Chesterfield usually arrives around December 14, and the last of the season around February 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at St Charles 7 SSW, MO, 2.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63017
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 63017 is 3 miles from St Charles 7 SSW, MO, which stands at 450 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 63021 (Ballwin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63017 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.