USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 67213 — Wichita, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wichita, KS (1,335 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Wichita, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 199 days (NOAA, Wichita, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 199 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 6
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 12.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wichita
Half of springs at Wichita, KS see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, 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 21 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 199 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 103 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 22, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 23 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wichita, 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 67213 →Compare Wichita with another place →
Weather by month in Wichita
July is the warmest month at Wichita, KS, averaging 93°F by day and 70°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,612 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,675) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 976. Precipitation totals 34.5 inches a year, most in May (5.2") 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 | 23 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 1.2 | 100% | 21 | 17 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 2.3 | 100% | 11 | 93 |
| Apr | 68 | 45 | 3.1 | 79% | 3 | 236 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.2 | 3% | 0 | 519 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 976 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.1 | 1% | 0 | 652 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 2.9 | 61% | 2 | 309 |
| Nov | 57 | 35 | 1.4 | 100% | 13 | 67 |
| Dec | 46 | 25 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wichita, KS (1,335 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 Wx, KS, 5 miles west of Wichita, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 27), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Wichita, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wichita usually arrives around December 6, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wichita, KS, 4.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67213
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 67213 is 5 miles from Wichita, KS, which stands at 1,335 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 67217 (Wichita). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67213 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.