USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 64153 — Kansas City, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kansas City International Airport, MO (1,005 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Kansas City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, Kansas City International Airport, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 193 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 International Airport, MO see their last 32°F night by April 13; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 29 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 October 24 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 171 one year in ten. On average 107 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 24, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kansas City International 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 64153 →Compare Kansas City with another place →
Weather by month in Kansas City
July is the warmest month at Kansas City International Airport, MO, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 20°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 84% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,025 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 158 Missouri stations. 36% of them (1,467) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 874. Precipitation totals 39.5 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in January (1.2"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 1.2 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 1.5 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 2.4 | 100% | 14 | 73 |
| Apr | 66 | 44 | 4.1 | 84% | 3 | 200 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 5.3 | 7% | 0 | 457 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.0 | 3% | 0 | 552 |
| Oct | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 78% | 2 | 245 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.0 | 100% | 13 | 54 |
| Dec | 42 | 24 | 1.6 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kansas City International Airport, MO (1,005 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, Leavenworth, KS, 11 miles west of Kansas City, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 12), a first frost 3 days later (October 27), a season 3 days longer.
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, 1.4 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 64153
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 2 – February 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 64153 is 1 mile from Kansas City International Airport, MO, which stands at 1,005 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 64152 (Parkville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 64153 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.