USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 64151 — Kansas City, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO (742 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Kansas City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 211 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
- December 1
- Last snow
- March 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 18.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kansas City
Half of springs at Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 158 Missouri stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 2 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 234 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 93 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 15, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and February 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kansas City Downtown Airport, 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 64151 →Compare Kansas City with another place →
Weather by month in Kansas City
July is the warmest month at Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO, averaging 90°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 22°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,531 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,666) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 962. Precipitation totals 38.1 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 1.0 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 1.5 | 100% | 20 | 16 |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 2.1 | 98% | 11 | 92 |
| Apr | 67 | 46 | 3.9 | 63% | 2 | 241 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 5.1 | 2% | 0 | 519 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 962 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Oct | 68 | 49 | 3.2 | 40% | 1 | 296 |
| Nov | 55 | 36 | 1.8 | 98% | 11 | 69 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 1.3 | 100% | 22 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO (742 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, Kansas City International Airport, MO, 8 miles northwest of Kansas City and 263 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days later (April 13), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 24), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Kansas City, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kansas City usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kansas City International Airport, MO, 7.8 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 64151
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 64151 is 7 miles from Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO, which stands at 742 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 33 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 64118 (Kansas City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 64151 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.