USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 66783 — Yates Center, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Yates Ctr, KS (1,112 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Yates Center, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 198 days (NOAA, Yates Ctr, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 198 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 6
- Last snow
- February 20
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Yates Center
Half of springs at Yates Ctr, KS see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 26 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 198 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 178 one year in ten. On average 108 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 20, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Yates Ctr, 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 66783 →Compare Yates Center with another place →
Weather by month in Yates Center
July is the warmest month at Yates Ctr, KS, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 21°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,175 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 60% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,488) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 893. Precipitation totals 41.9 inches a year, most in May (5.9") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 21 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Feb | 47 | 24 | 1.6 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 2.7 | 99% | 14 | 74 |
| Apr | 67 | 43 | 4.1 | 80% | 4 | 206 |
| May | 75 | 55 | 5.9 | 3% | 0 | 463 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 4.4 | 1% | 0 | 587 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.7 | 65% | 2 | 278 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 2.3 | 100% | 13 | 67 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Yates Ctr, KS (1,112 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, Humboldt, KS, 16 miles east of Yates Center and 172 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (April 11), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 27), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Yates Center, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Yates Center usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around February 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Yates Ctr, KS, 0.7 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 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 66783
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 66783 is under a mile from Yates Ctr, KS, which stands at 1,112 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 66783 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.