USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 63040 — Wildwood, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO (462 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Wildwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 193 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 5
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 13.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wildwood
Half of springs at St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 27 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 54% of the 158 Missouri stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 213 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 105 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 24, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, 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 63040 →Compare Wildwood with another place →
Weather by month in Wildwood
July is the warmest month at St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,209 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 158 Missouri stations. 38% of them (1,585) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 891. Precipitation totals 39.8 inches a year, most in April (4.6") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 2.4 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 2.0 | 100% | 22 | 17 |
| Mar | 57 | 34 | 3.5 | 99% | 14 | 85 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.6 | 81% | 4 | 234 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.6 | 6% | 0 | 499 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 744 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 3.0 | 2% | 0 | 562 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.1 | 81% | 3 | 260 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 65 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 2.3 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO (462 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 Charles 7 SSW, MO, 9 miles northeast of Wildwood, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 6 days later (October 29), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Wildwood, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wildwood usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Weldon Spring NWS, MO, 9.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63040
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 63040 is 6 miles from St Louis Sprt Of S L Airport, MO, which stands at 462 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 63005 (Chesterfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63040 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.