USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 67144 — Towanda, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from El Dorado, KS (1,290 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Towanda, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 13 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 193 days (NOAA, El Dorado, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 13
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 193 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 11
- Last snow
- February 24
- Winters with snow
- 96%
- Snow per year
- 8.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Towanda
Half of springs at El Dorado, KS see their last 32°F night by April 13; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 23 20%, and after April 27 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 25 in half of years, as early as October 11 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 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 193 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 112 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 23, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at El Dorado, 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 67144 →Compare Towanda with another place →
Weather by month in Towanda
July is the warmest month at El Dorado, KS, averaging 91°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 20°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 84% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,347 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,559) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 932. Precipitation totals 38.6 inches a year, most in May (5.8") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 20 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 49 | 23 | 1.5 | 100% | 23 | 13 |
| Mar | 59 | 33 | 2.5 | 100% | 15 | 75 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 3.4 | 84% | 4 | 222 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.8 | 5% | <1 | 489 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 757 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 932 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 3.6 | 2% | 0 | 614 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 3.3 | 71% | 3 | 287 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 1.7 | 100% | 15 | 65 |
| Dec | 46 | 24 | 1.3 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at El Dorado, KS (1,290 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, Wichita Jabara Airport, KS, 12 miles west of Towanda, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 2 days later (October 27), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Towanda, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Towanda usually arrives around December 11, and the last of the season around February 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Augusta, KS, 7.7 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 48 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67144
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 2 – February 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 67144 is 9 miles from El Dorado, KS, which stands at 1,290 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 67042 (El Dorado). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67144 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.