USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 66736 — Fredonia, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fredonia, KS (893 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fredonia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 197 days (NOAA, Fredonia, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 197 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 23
- Last snow
- February 8
- Winters with snow
- 70%
- Snow per year
- 6.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fredonia
Half of springs at Fredonia, KS see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 197 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 218 days one year in ten and falls short of 177 one year in ten. On average 110 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 22, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fredonia, 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 66736 →Compare Fredonia with another place →
Weather by month in Fredonia
July is the warmest month at Fredonia, KS, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 22°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,353 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,581) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 925. Precipitation totals 41.9 inches a year, most in June (6.1") and least in January (1.2"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 1.2 | 100% | 28 | 4 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 1.5 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 2.8 | 98% | 14 | 82 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.3 | 79% | 4 | 227 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 5.8 | 3% | <1 | 498 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 754 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 4.2 | 1% | <1 | 605 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.6 | 73% | 3 | 281 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 2.3 | 100% | 15 | 71 |
| Dec | 46 | 26 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fredonia, 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, Chanute Martin Johnson Airport, KS, 22 miles northeast of Fredonia, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 2 days later (October 28), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Fredonia, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fredonia usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fredonia, KS, 1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 70% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 63 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 66736
| 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 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 66736 is 1 mile from Fredonia, 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 66736 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.