USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 64145 — Kansas City, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS (1,070 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Kansas City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 204 days (NOAA, Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 204 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
- November 30
- Last snow
- March 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 13.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kansas City
Half of springs at Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 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 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 204 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 184 one year in ten. On average 101 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 18, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 5 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS, 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 64145 →Compare Kansas City with another place →
Weather by month in Kansas City
July is the warmest month at Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 39°F and 21°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,035 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 158 Missouri stations. 36% of them (1,465) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 874. Precipitation totals 37.8 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 1.4 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
| Mar | 55 | 35 | 2.3 | 99% | 12 | 72 |
| Apr | 65 | 45 | 3.9 | 74% | 3 | 201 |
| May | 74 | 55 | 5.4 | 2% | 0 | 456 |
| Jun | 83 | 65 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 721 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Sep | 78 | 59 | 3.5 | 1% | 0 | 551 |
| Oct | 67 | 47 | 3.0 | 59% | 2 | 249 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 2.0 | 100% | 12 | 53 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 1.4 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS (1,070 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, Olathe 3E, KS, 9 miles west of Kansas City, has a last frost 2 days later (April 10), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Kansas City, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kansas City usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Olathe 3E, KS, 8.8 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 64145
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 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 64145 is 8 miles from Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS, which stands at 1,070 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 64012 (Belton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 64145 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.