USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 63108 — Saint Louis, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Louis Sci Ctr, MO (515 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In Saint Louis, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, St Louis Sci Ctr, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 218 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 25
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saint Louis
Half of springs at St Louis Sci Ctr, MO see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 18 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 November 4 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, longer than at 96% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 79 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 11 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 19 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Louis Sci Ctr, 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 63108 →Compare Saint Louis with another place →
Weather by month in Saint Louis
July is the warmest month at St Louis Sci Ctr, MO, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 25°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,703 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 158 Missouri stations. 38% of them (1,768) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 949. Precipitation totals 43.9 inches a year, most in May (4.9") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 2.7 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Feb | 46 | 28 | 2.3 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
| Mar | 56 | 38 | 3.6 | 98% | 10 | 102 |
| Apr | 68 | 48 | 4.8 | 52% | 1 | 275 |
| May | 77 | 59 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 557 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Oct | 70 | 50 | 3.2 | 32% | <1 | 326 |
| Nov | 56 | 39 | 3.7 | 97% | 8 | 92 |
| Dec | 45 | 30 | 2.6 | 100% | 18 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Louis Sci Ctr, MO (515 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, Cahokia, IL, 6 miles southeast of Saint Louis, has a last frost 5 days later (April 6), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 27), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Saint Louis, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saint Louis usually arrives around December 25, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at St Louis Sci Ctr, MO, 1.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63108
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 63108 is 1 mile from St Louis Sci Ctr, MO, which stands at 515 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 28 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 63123 (Saint Louis). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63108 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.