USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 65770 — Walnut Grove, Missouri
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ash Grove 4S, MO (1,129 ft), 11 miles south.
Updated
In Walnut Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 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 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Ash Grove 4S, MO).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 196 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 25
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 9.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Walnut Grove
Half of springs at Ash Grove 4S, MO see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 29 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 24 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 158 Missouri stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 176 one year in ten. On average 104 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 22, and return around October 16. 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 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ash Grove 4S, 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 65770 →Compare Walnut Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Walnut Grove
July is the warmest month at Ash Grove 4S, MO, averaging 91°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 24°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,402 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 158 Missouri stations. 37% of them (1,637) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 907. Precipitation totals 43.6 inches a year, most in May (5.6") and least in January (2.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 2.1 | 100% | 22 | 26 |
| Mar | 59 | 35 | 3.5 | 100% | 13 | 96 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 4.5 | 77% | 5 | 247 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.6 | 7% | <1 | 507 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Aug | 90 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 3.3 | 79% | 3 | 288 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 74 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 2.6 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ash Grove 4S, MO (1,129 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, Springfield, MO, 14 miles southeast of Walnut Grove, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 9), a first frost 3 days later (October 27), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Walnut Grove, Missouri
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Walnut Grove usually arrives around December 25, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ash Grove 4S, MO, 10.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 65770
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 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 65770 is 11 miles from Ash Grove 4S, MO, which stands at 1,129 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 65604 (Ash Grove). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 65770 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.