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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 66087 — Troy, Kansas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Troy 3N, KS (1,040 ft), 3 miles northeast.

Updated

In Troy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Troy 3N, KS).

Last spring frost
April 19

50% probability

First fall frost
October 19

50% probability

Growing season
182 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
December 1

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 21

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
21.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Troy

Half of springs at Troy 3N, KS see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 121 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 29, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 8.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 14Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 29May 1May 4May 7May 12
32°FApr 4Apr 9Apr 12Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 30May 5
28°FMar 23Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 8Apr 11Apr 15Apr 19Apr 25
24°FMar 11Mar 17Mar 22Mar 26Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 13
20°FFeb 28Mar 6Mar 10Mar 14Mar 18Mar 22Mar 25Mar 29Apr 2
16°FFeb 21Feb 27Mar 2Mar 5Mar 8Mar 11Mar 15Mar 19Mar 25
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 2Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 23
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 4
16°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Troy 3N, 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 66087 →Compare Troy with another place →

Weather by month in Troy

July is the warmest month at Troy 3N, KS, averaging 87°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 18% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,760 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,358) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 832. Precipitation totals 37.0 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 59% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Troy 3N, KS
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan36171.0100%281
Feb42211.4100%238
Mar54312.2100%1759
Apr65423.895%6173
May74535.118%<1429
Jun83634.50%0688
Jul87675.00%0832
Aug85653.90%0773
Sep79563.47%<1521
Oct67443.189%5229
Nov53322.0100%1644
Dec40221.6100%263

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Troy 3N, KS (1,040 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, St Joseph Rosecrans Airport, MO, 11 miles east of Troy and 222 feet lower, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (October 17), a season 2 days shorter.

Frost dates for 64506 (Saint Joseph) →

When it snows in Troy, Kansas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Troy usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Troy 3N, KS, 3.1 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 29 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 66087

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Troy, Kansas
WhenWhat to do
February 8 – February 22Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 22 – March 8Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 22 – April 5Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 19 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 27Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 5Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 19 onwardPlant 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 66087 is 3 miles from Troy 3N, KS, which stands at 1,040 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 66087 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.

Frost dates across Kansas →

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.

Other zone 6a places in Kansas