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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 63645 — Fredericktown, Missouri

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fredericktown, MO (760 ft), 2 miles north.

Updated

In Fredericktown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Fredericktown, MO).

Last spring frost
April 21

50% probability

First fall frost
October 16

50% probability

Growing season
174 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 26

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

23 of 23 observed

Snow per year
9.3"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Fredericktown

Half of springs at Fredericktown, MO see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 8 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 115 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 May 3, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 6.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fredericktown, 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 63645 →Compare Fredericktown with another place →

Weather by month in Fredericktown

July is the warmest month at Fredericktown, MO, averaging 88°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 27% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,766 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,397) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 814. Precipitation totals 46.4 inches a year, most in April (5.3") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 44% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fredericktown, MO
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan42213.0100%267
Feb47242.8100%2213
Mar57323.8100%1667
Apr68425.395%5205
May76525.327%1438
Jun84613.60%0669
Jul88654.00%0814
Aug87623.90%0762
Sep80543.58%<1510
Oct69423.396%5216
Nov56324.6100%1656
Dec45243.3100%2411

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fredericktown, MO (760 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, Farmington, MO, 18 miles north of Fredericktown, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 13), a first frost 5 days later (October 21), a season 17 days longer.

Frost dates for 63640 (Farmington) →

When it snows in Fredericktown, Missouri

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fredericktown usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fredericktown, MO, 1.8 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 54 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 63645

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Fredericktown, Missouri
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 24Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 2Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 16 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 63645 is 2 miles from Fredericktown, MO, which stands at 760 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63645 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 Missouri →

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.

Other zone 6b places in Missouri