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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 64020 — Concordia, Missouri

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sweet Springs, MO (675 ft), 9 miles east.

Updated

In Concordia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Sweet Springs, MO).

Last spring frost
April 17

50% probability

First fall frost
October 20

50% probability

Growing season
184 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 6

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 4

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

29 of 29 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Concordia

Half of springs at Sweet Springs, MO see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 2 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 205 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 112 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 28, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 5.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 14Apr 18Apr 22Apr 25Apr 28Apr 30May 3May 6May 11
32°FApr 3Apr 7Apr 10Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20Apr 24Apr 27May 2
28°FMar 19Mar 25Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 8Apr 10Apr 14Apr 20
24°FMar 5Mar 12Mar 17Mar 21Mar 24Mar 28Mar 31Apr 4Apr 10
20°FFeb 26Mar 2Mar 6Mar 9Mar 13Mar 16Mar 20Mar 25Mar 31
16°FFeb 16Feb 23Feb 27Mar 2Mar 5Mar 8Mar 12Mar 16Mar 21
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 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 1Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sweet Springs, 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 64020 →Compare Concordia with another place →

Weather by month in Concordia

July is the warmest month at Sweet Springs, MO, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 13% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,921 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,433) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 857. Precipitation totals 42.8 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 56% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sweet Springs, MO
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan38171.5100%282
Feb44222.0100%2212
Mar56322.999%1565
Apr66424.492%4195
May76535.513%<1453
Jun84634.50%0706
Jul89675.50%0857
Aug87654.40%0803
Sep80564.08%<1533
Oct69433.488%4235
Nov55322.6100%1553
Dec43232.1100%258

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sweet Springs, MO (675 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, Higginsville, MO, 9 miles northwest of Concordia and 161 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 4 days later (October 24), a season 11 days longer.

Frost dates for 64037 (Higginsville) →

When it snows in Concordia, Missouri

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Concordia usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Concordia, MO, 1 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 44 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 64020

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Concordia, Missouri
WhenWhat to do
February 6 – February 20Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 20 – March 6Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 20 – April 3Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 17 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 28Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 6Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 20 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 64020 is 9 miles from Sweet Springs, MO, which stands at 675 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 64020 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Missouri