USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 66006 — Baldwin City, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lawrence, KS (1,050 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Baldwin City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 199 days (NOAA, Lawrence, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 199 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 8
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 92%
- Snow per year
- 10.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Baldwin City
Half of springs at Lawrence, KS see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 24 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 89% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 199 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 178 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 9 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lawrence, KS, 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 66006 →Compare Baldwin City with another place →
Weather by month in Baldwin City
July is the warmest month at Lawrence, KS, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 19°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 86% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,113 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,475) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 905. Precipitation totals 39.4 inches a year, most in June (5.7") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 19 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 1.5 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 2.3 | 100% | 14 | 64 |
| Apr | 65 | 44 | 4.1 | 86% | 4 | 193 |
| May | 74 | 56 | 5.1 | 2% | 0 | 468 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 4.0 | 1% | 0 | 567 |
| Oct | 67 | 47 | 3.2 | 63% | 2 | 256 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.0 | 100% | 12 | 53 |
| Dec | 42 | 24 | 1.6 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lawrence, KS (1,050 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, Clinton Lake, KS, 13 miles northwest of Baldwin City, has a last frost 3 days later (April 15), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 22), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Baldwin City, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Baldwin City usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lawrence, KS, 11.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 92% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 66006
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 66006 is 12 miles from Lawrence, KS, which stands at 1,050 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 66049 (Lawrence). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 66006 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.