USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 63755 — Jackson, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jackson, MO (440 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Jackson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Jackson, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 202 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
- January 1
- Last snow
- February 7
- Winters with snow
- 90%
- Snow per year
- 7.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jackson
Half of springs at Jackson, MO see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 22 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 29 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 184 one year in ten. On average 91 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 19, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 10 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jackson, 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 63755 →Compare Jackson with another place →
Weather by month in Jackson
July is the warmest month at Jackson, MO, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 24°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 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,418 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 158 Missouri stations. 38% of them (1,668) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 916. Precipitation totals 50.5 inches a year, most in April (5.5") and least in January (3.3"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 24 | 3.3 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 19 | 13 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 5.0 | 99% | 12 | 75 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 5.5 | 70% | 2 | 252 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 784 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.7 | 63% | 2 | 285 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 4.6 | 100% | 12 | 62 |
| Dec | 45 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jackson, MO (440 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, Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, MO, 14 miles south of Jackson, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 5), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 25), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Jackson, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Jackson usually arrives around January 1, and the last of the season around February 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Jackson, MO, 2.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 90% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 59 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63755
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 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 63755 is 3 miles from Jackson, MO, which stands at 440 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 63701 (Cape Girardeau). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63755 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.