USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 65560 — Salem, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Salem, MO (1,205 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Salem, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Salem, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 182 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Salem
Half of springs at Salem, MO see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 82% of the 158 Missouri stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 91 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 13 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Salem, 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 65560 →Compare Salem with another place →
Weather by month in Salem
July is the warmest month at Salem, MO, averaging 88°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 86% of years and May still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,910 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,453) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 814. Precipitation totals 46.9 inches a year, most in May (5.6") and least in January (2.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 2.7 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 2.8 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Mar | 57 | 34 | 4.0 | 100% | 12 | 84 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.0 | 86% | 3 | 234 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 5.6 | 16% | <1 | 448 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 661 |
| Jul | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Aug | 87 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 4.0 | 7% | 0 | 527 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 90% | 3 | 256 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 3.9 | 100% | 10 | 71 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Salem, MO (1,205 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, Licking 4N, MO, 21 miles west of Salem, has a last frost 3 days later (April 20), a first frost 1 day later (October 19), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Salem, Missouri
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Salem, MO, 1.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 65560
| 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 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 65560 is 1 mile from Salem, MO, which stands at 1,205 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 65560 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.