USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 67654 — Norton, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Norton Dam, KS (2,346 ft), under a mile south.
Updated
In Norton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Norton Dam, KS).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 162 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 28
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 19.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Norton
Half of springs at Norton Dam, KS see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 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 12 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 155 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 9 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Norton Dam, 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 67654 →Compare Norton with another place →
Weather by month in Norton
July is the warmest month at Norton Dam, KS, averaging 92°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,494 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 110 Kansas stations. 33% of them (1,168) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 863. Precipitation totals 26.2 inches a year, most in May (4.3") and least in January (0.4"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 14 | 0.4 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 43 | 17 | 0.5 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Mar | 55 | 26 | 1.2 | 100% | 24 | 31 |
| Apr | 65 | 35 | 2.7 | 100% | 10 | 117 |
| May | 75 | 47 | 4.3 | 51% | 1 | 348 |
| Jun | 87 | 58 | 3.2 | 2% | <1 | 668 |
| Jul | 92 | 64 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Aug | 89 | 61 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Sep | 81 | 52 | 2.1 | 13% | <1 | 495 |
| Oct | 67 | 38 | 2.3 | 99% | 8 | 164 |
| Nov | 53 | 25 | 0.9 | 100% | 24 | 21 |
| Dec | 41 | 16 | 0.8 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Norton Dam, KS (2,346 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, Oberlin, KS, 31 miles west of Norton and 240 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 30), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 11), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Norton, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Norton usually arrives around November 28, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Norton Dam, KS, 0.8 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67654
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 67654 is under a mile from Norton Dam, KS, which stands at 2,346 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67654 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.