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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 67576 — St John, Kansas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hudson, KS (1,867 ft), 10 miles northeast.

Updated

In St John, 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 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 185 days (NOAA, Hudson, KS).

Last spring frost
April 18

50% probability

First fall frost
October 21

50% probability

Growing season
185 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 5

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 10

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

24 of 24 observed

Snow per year
18.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in St John

Half of springs at Hudson, KS see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 3, 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 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 185 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 113 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 29, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 7.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 14Apr 19Apr 23Apr 26Apr 29May 1May 3May 6May 9
32°FApr 3Apr 7Apr 11Apr 14Apr 18Apr 21Apr 24Apr 28May 2
28°FMar 22Mar 29Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 9Apr 13Apr 17Apr 22
24°FMar 10Mar 16Mar 21Mar 25Mar 29Mar 31Apr 4Apr 7Apr 14
20°FMar 1Mar 6Mar 10Mar 13Mar 17Mar 21Mar 26Mar 30Apr 4
16°FFeb 17Feb 24Feb 28Mar 3Mar 7Mar 10Mar 14Mar 19Mar 27
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
32°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10Dec 17

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hudson, 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 67576 →Compare St John with another place →

Weather by month in St John

July is the warmest month at Hudson, KS, averaging 94°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 44°F and 21°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 13% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,366 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,571) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 28.9 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in January (0.8"); May to September bring 62% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hudson, KS
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan44210.8100%282
Feb49231.1100%2214
Mar59322.0100%1477
Apr69422.594%4214
May78534.613%<1484
Jun89634.00%0780
Jul94684.00%0950
Aug91663.40%0886
Sep84581.96%0621
Oct71442.384%3281
Nov57321.2100%1554
Dec45231.1100%263

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hudson, KS (1,867 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, Larned, KS, 20 miles northwest of St John, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 6 days later (October 27), a season 5 days longer.

Frost dates for 67550 (Larned) →

When it snows in St John, Kansas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in St John usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hudson, KS, 9.7 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 39 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 67576

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for St John, Kansas
WhenWhat to do
February 7 – February 21Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 21 – March 7Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 21 – April 4Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 18 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 29Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 7Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 21 onwardPlant 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 67576 is 10 miles from Hudson, KS, which stands at 1,867 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67576 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.

Frost dates across Kansas →

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.

Other zone 6b places in Kansas