USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 66713 — Baxter Springs, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Columbus, KS (893 ft), 12 miles northwest.
Updated
In Baxter Springs, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Columbus, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 208 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 8
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 7.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Baxter Springs
Half of springs at Columbus, KS see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 85% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 229 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 95 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 16, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 13 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Columbus, 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 66713 →Compare Baxter Springs with another place →
Weather by month in Baxter Springs
July is the warmest month at Columbus, KS, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 23°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,409 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,597) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 913. Precipitation totals 46.2 inches a year, most in May (7.1") and least in January (1.7"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 1.7 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 2.0 | 100% | 20 | 20 |
| Mar | 58 | 36 | 3.4 | 99% | 12 | 94 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | 63% | 3 | 240 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 7.1 | 3% | 0 | 488 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.8 | 52% | 2 | 305 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 3.0 | 100% | 11 | 85 |
| Dec | 47 | 28 | 2.4 | 100% | 22 | 16 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Columbus, KS (893 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, Miami, OK, 12 miles southwest of Baxter Springs, has a last frost 1 day later (April 6), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 27), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Baxter Springs, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Baxter Springs usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Columbus, KS, 11.6 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 66713
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 66713 is 12 miles from Columbus, KS, which stands at 893 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 66713 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.