USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 67579 — Sterling, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sterling, KS (1,636 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Sterling, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 190 days (NOAA, Sterling, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 190 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 18
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 88%
- Snow per year
- 9.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sterling
Half of springs at Sterling, KS see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after April 30 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 23 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 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, longer than at 57% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 121 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 26, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sterling, 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 67579 →Compare Sterling with another place →
Weather by month in Sterling
July is the warmest month at Sterling, KS, averaging 93°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 42°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,230 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 110 Kansas stations. 35% of them (1,495) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 948. Precipitation totals 29.1 inches a year, most in May (4.7") and least in January (0.8"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 20 | 0.8 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Feb | 46 | 22 | 1.0 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Mar | 57 | 31 | 2.0 | 100% | 17 | 61 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 2.4 | 92% | 5 | 184 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 4.7 | 7% | <1 | 467 |
| Jun | 88 | 64 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jul | 93 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 948 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 2.0 | 4% | <1 | 600 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 2.5 | 77% | 3 | 257 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 1.1 | 100% | 16 | 49 |
| Dec | 44 | 22 | 1.0 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sterling, KS (1,636 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, KS, 17 miles southeast of Sterling, has a last frost 3 days later (April 18), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 21), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Sterling, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sterling usually arrives around December 18, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sterling, KS, 1.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 88% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 48 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67579
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 67579 is 1 mile from Sterling, KS, which stands at 1,636 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 67554 (Lyons). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67579 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.