USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 67661 — Phillipsburg, Kansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Phillipsburg #2, KS (1,888 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Phillipsburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Phillipsburg #2, KS).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 172 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
- December 3
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 95%
- Snow per year
- 17"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Phillipsburg
Half of springs at Phillipsburg #2, KS see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 97% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 7 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 189 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 140 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 7 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Phillipsburg #2, 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 67661 →Compare Phillipsburg with another place →
Weather by month in Phillipsburg
July is the warmest month at Phillipsburg #2, KS, averaging 93°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 16°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,796 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 110 Kansas stations. 34% of them (1,277) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 906. Precipitation totals 25.5 inches a year, most in May (4.3") and least in January (0.5"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 16 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 44 | 19 | 0.9 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Mar | 56 | 28 | 1.5 | 100% | 21 | 40 |
| Apr | 65 | 37 | 2.4 | 100% | 8 | 129 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 4.3 | 32% | <1 | 386 |
| Jun | 87 | 61 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Jul | 93 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 906 |
| Aug | 90 | 64 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 840 |
| Sep | 82 | 54 | 1.7 | 9% | <1 | 542 |
| Oct | 68 | 40 | 2.1 | 96% | 5 | 201 |
| Nov | 54 | 28 | 1.1 | 100% | 19 | 29 |
| Dec | 42 | 18 | 0.9 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Phillipsburg #2, KS (1,888 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, Smith Ctr, KS, 29 miles east of Phillipsburg, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 15), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Phillipsburg, Kansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Phillipsburg usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Phillipsburg #2, KS, 3.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 67661
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 67661 is 3 miles from Phillipsburg #2, KS, which stands at 1,888 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67661 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.