USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 66762 — Pittsburg, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pittsburg, KS (908 ft), 1 miles south.
Updated
In Pittsburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 203 days (NOAA, Pittsburg, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 203 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 17
- Last snow
- February 24
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 9.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pittsburg
Half of springs at Pittsburg, KS see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 24 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 203 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 91 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 18, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pittsburg, 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 66762 →Compare Pittsburg with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Pittsburg
In Pittsburg, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 24 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 17, 176 days later; that gap is longer than at 92% of the 110 Kansas stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 31 days (March 24 to April 24) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 24 days (October 17 to November 10): the last frost moves more from year to year than the first. At Girard, KS, 10 miles northwest, the same gap runs from April 21 to October 17, 3 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 24 | over 90% | 65% |
| Mar 31 | 75% | 43% |
| Apr 750% date | 50% | 20% |
| Apr 14 | 30% | under 10% |
| Apr 21 | 15% | under 10% |
| Apr 28 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Pittsburg
July is the warmest month at Pittsburg, KS, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 24°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,480 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 110 Kansas stations. 37% of them (1,639) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 934. Precipitation totals 47.9 inches a year, most in May (7.1") and least in January (1.8"); May to September bring 55% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 24 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 48 | 28 | 2.1 | 100% | 19 | 22 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 3.2 | 99% | 10 | 101 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | 72% | 3 | 251 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 7.1 | 2% | 0 | 500 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 760 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 934 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 5.2 | 1% | 0 | 629 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.6 | 55% | 2 | 304 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.3 | 100% | 11 | 70 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 2.3 | 100% | 20 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pittsburg, KS (908 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, Girard, KS, 10 miles northwest of Pittsburg, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 2 days later (November 1), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Pittsburg, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pittsburg usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around February 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pittsburg, KS, 1.3 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 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 66762
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 66762 is 1 mile from Pittsburg, KS, which stands at 908 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 66762 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.