USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 63845 — East Prairie, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New Madrid, MO (302 ft), 14 miles southwest.
Updated
In East Prairie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, New Madrid, MO).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 220 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 3
- Last snow
- February 7
- Winters with snow
- 79%
- Snow per year
- 3.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in East Prairie
Half of springs at New Madrid, MO see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 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 November 3 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 96% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 72 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 10 days longer, to about April 7, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New Madrid, 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 63845 →Compare East Prairie with another place →
Weather by month in East Prairie
July is the warmest month at New Madrid, MO, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 28°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,747 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 158 Missouri stations. 39% of them (1,828) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945. Precipitation totals 49.4 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in August (2.6"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 28 | 3.8 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Feb | 49 | 31 | 3.6 | 100% | 16 | 17 |
| Mar | 58 | 39 | 4.4 | 96% | 8 | 101 |
| Apr | 69 | 49 | 5.1 | 38% | 1 | 300 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 4.0 | 39% | 1 | 335 |
| Nov | 58 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 7 | 89 |
| Dec | 47 | 31 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New Madrid, MO (302 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, Sikeston Pwr Stn, MO, 17 miles northwest of East Prairie, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 3 days later (November 6), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in East Prairie, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in East Prairie usually arrives around January 3, and the last of the season around February 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sikeston Pwr Stn, MO, 17.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 79% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 63845
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 63845 is 14 miles from New Madrid, MO, which stands at 302 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 63845 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.