USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 63601 — Park Hills, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Farmington, MO (900 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Park Hills, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 191 days (NOAA, Farmington, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 191 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 20
- Last snow
- March 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 8.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Park Hills
Half of springs at Farmington, MO see their last 32°F night by April 13; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 30 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 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 November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 191 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 211 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 104 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 13 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Farmington, 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 63601 →Compare Park Hills with another place →
Weather by month in Park Hills
July is the warmest month at Farmington, MO, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 23°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,114 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,542) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 859. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in January (2.6"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 2.6 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 2.8 | 100% | 21 | 16 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 3.8 | 100% | 14 | 84 |
| Apr | 69 | 44 | 5.3 | 82% | 4 | 237 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.5 | 9% | 0 | 484 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 712 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 815 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.2 | 5% | <1 | 555 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.3 | 87% | 3 | 262 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 4.2 | 100% | 14 | 69 |
| Dec | 46 | 26 | 3.0 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Farmington, MO (900 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, Potosi 4 SW, MO, 17 miles west of Park Hills and 205 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 7 days later (October 28), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Park Hills, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Park Hills usually arrives around December 20, and the last of the season around March 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Farmington, MO, 7.5 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63601
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 2 – February 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 63601 is 8 miles from Farmington, MO, which stands at 900 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 63640 (Farmington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63601 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.
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.