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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 67951 — Hugoton, Kansas

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hugoton, KS (3,110 ft), 2 miles south.

Updated

In Hugoton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Hugoton, KS).

Last spring frost
April 20

50% probability

First fall frost
October 22

50% probability

Growing season
183 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

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

First snow
December 19

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 18

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
96%

22 of 23 observed

Snow per year
12.9"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Hugoton

Half of springs at Hugoton, KS see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 28 20%, and after May 2 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 89% of the 110 Kansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, shorter than at 63% of the 110 Kansas stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 132 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 30, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 6.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hugoton, 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 67951 →Compare Hugoton with another place →

Weather by month in Hugoton

July is the warmest month at Hugoton, KS, averaging 92°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 20°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 3,992 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 110 Kansas stations. 36% of them (1,445) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 882. Precipitation totals 19.8 inches a year, most in June (3.4") and least in February (0.3"); May to September bring 67% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hugoton, KS
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan47200.5100%303
Feb52230.3100%2512
Mar61311.1100%1866
Apr69391.695%6190
May79502.214%<1452
Jun88603.40%0723
Jul92652.70%0882
Aug90633.20%0815
Sep83551.82%0568
Oct71421.684%4236
Nov58290.5100%2043
Dec47210.9100%293

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hugoton, KS (3,110 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, Hooker, OK, 24 miles south of Hugoton, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 3 days later (October 25), a season 9 days longer.

Frost dates for 73945 (Hooker) →

When it snows in Hugoton, Kansas

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hugoton usually arrives around December 19, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hugoton, KS, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 96% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 33 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 67951

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Hugoton, Kansas
WhenWhat to do
February 9 – February 23Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 23 – March 9Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 23 – April 6Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 20 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 30Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 8Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 22 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 67951 is 2 miles from Hugoton, KS, which stands at 3,110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 67951 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