USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 64402 — Albany, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Albany, MO (875 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Albany, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 185 days (NOAA, Albany, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 185 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 8
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albany
Half of springs at Albany, MO see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 25 20%, and after April 30 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 94% of the 158 Missouri stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 185 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 133 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 27, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Albany, 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 64402 →Compare Albany with another place →
Weather by month in Albany
July is the warmest month at Albany, MO, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,681 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 158 Missouri stations. 35% of them (1,297) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 848. Precipitation totals 37.6 inches a year, most in May (5.7") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 14 | 1.1 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 19 | 1.2 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 29 | 2.1 | 100% | 18 | 47 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.6 | 96% | 8 | 148 |
| May | 74 | 52 | 5.7 | 7% | <1 | 408 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 4.1 | 5% | 0 | 514 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 2.7 | 90% | 5 | 204 |
| Nov | 52 | 30 | 1.8 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Dec | 39 | 20 | 1.5 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albany, MO (875 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, Bethany, MO, 16 miles east of Albany, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 16), a first frost 1 day later (October 22), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Albany, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Albany usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Albany, MO, 0.1 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 64402
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 64402 is under a mile from Albany, MO, which stands at 875 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 64402 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.