USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 66052 — Linwood, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS (832 ft), 8 miles west.
Updated
In Linwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 177 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
- March 1
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 12.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Linwood
Half of springs at Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, shorter than at 79% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 200 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 123 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 30, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lawrence Municipal Airport, 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 66052 →Compare Linwood with another place →
Weather by month in Linwood
July is the warmest month at Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS, averaging 91°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,125 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 110 Kansas stations. 37% of them (1,513) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 899. Precipitation totals 35.6 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 18 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 46 | 22 | 1.3 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Mar | 58 | 32 | 2.2 | 100% | 17 | 73 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 4.0 | 94% | 5 | 202 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 4.7 | 21% | 1 | 474 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 751 |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Aug | 90 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.6 | 13% | <1 | 559 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 2.9 | 90% | 5 | 248 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 1.8 | 100% | 17 | 49 |
| Dec | 44 | 22 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS (832 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, Bonner Springs, KS, 10 miles east of Linwood, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 5 days later (October 22), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Linwood, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Linwood usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tonganoxie 5SE, KS, 1.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 66052
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 66052 is 8 miles from Lawrence Municipal Airport, KS, which stands at 832 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 66044 (Lawrence). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 66052 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.