USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 67505 — South Hutchinson, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hutchinson, KS (1,540 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In South Hutchinson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Hutchinson, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 186 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 8
- Last snow
- March 3
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 6.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Hutchinson
Half of springs at Hutchinson, KS see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 28 20%, and after May 2 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 120 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 28, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hutchinson, 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 67505 →Compare South Hutchinson with another place →
Weather by month in South Hutchinson
July is the warmest month at Hutchinson, KS, averaging 94°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 45°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 14% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,398 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 82% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,580) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 33.0 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in January (0.8"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 19 | 0.8 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Feb | 50 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 24 | 15 |
| Mar | 60 | 32 | 2.3 | 100% | 16 | 78 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 2.7 | 92% | 5 | 218 |
| May | 79 | 53 | 5.5 | 14% | <1 | 490 |
| Jun | 89 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Jul | 94 | 68 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Aug | 92 | 66 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Sep | 84 | 57 | 2.4 | 3% | 0 | 623 |
| Oct | 72 | 44 | 2.5 | 81% | 3 | 289 |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | 1.5 | 100% | 16 | 61 |
| Dec | 47 | 23 | 1.4 | 100% | 28 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hutchinson, KS (1,540 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, Hutchinson Municipal Airport, KS, 5 miles northeast of South Hutchinson, has a last frost 3 days later (April 21), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 18), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in South Hutchinson, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Hutchinson usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hutchinson, KS, 4.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67505
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 67505 is 5 miles from Hutchinson, KS, which stands at 1,540 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 67501 (Hutchinson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67505 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.