USDA Hardiness Zone 5b

Frost Dates for 68003 — Ashland, Nebraska

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ashland #2, NE (1,118 ft), 2 miles south.

Updated October 28, 2026

In Ashland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Ashland #2, NE).

Last spring frost: April 23
First fall frost: October 16
Growing season: 175 days
Hardiness zone: 5b

First snow: November 25
Last snow: March 18
Winters with snow: 100%
Snow per year: 22.1"

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Frost risk by date in Ashland

Half of springs at Ashland #2, NE see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 68 Nebraska 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 September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 155 one year in ten. On average 145 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 8 days longer, to about May 1, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 19 and March 15.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low	90%	80%	70%	60%	50%	40%	30%	20%	10%
36°F	Apr 18	Apr 24	Apr 27	Apr 30	May 1	May 4	May 7	May 11	May 16
32°F	Apr 8	Apr 13	Apr 16	Apr 19	Apr 23	Apr 26	Apr 29	May 1	May 5
28°F	Mar 31	Apr 3	Apr 7	Apr 10	Apr 13	Apr 16	Apr 19	Apr 23	Apr 27
24°F	Mar 19	Mar 24	Mar 28	Apr 1	Apr 4	Apr 7	Apr 10	Apr 14	Apr 20
20°F	Mar 8	Mar 13	Mar 18	Mar 22	Mar 26	Mar 30	Apr 2	Apr 6	Apr 12
16°F	Feb 28	Mar 5	Mar 8	Mar 11	Mar 15	Mar 19	Mar 23	Mar 28	Apr 3

Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low	10%	20%	30%	40%	50%	60%	70%	80%	90%
36°F	Sep 22	Sep 27	Sep 30	Oct 3	Oct 6	Oct 8	Oct 11	Oct 14	Oct 19
32°F	Sep 29	Oct 5	Oct 10	Oct 13	Oct 16	Oct 19	Oct 21	Oct 24	Oct 27
28°F	Oct 11	Oct 17	Oct 20	Oct 23	Oct 25	Oct 28	Oct 31	Nov 2	Nov 6
24°F	Oct 21	Oct 25	Oct 29	Oct 31	Nov 2	Nov 4	Nov 7	Nov 12	Nov 17
20°F	Oct 27	Nov 1	Nov 5	Nov 7	Nov 10	Nov 13	Nov 16	Nov 21	Nov 28
16°F	Nov 3	Nov 8	Nov 12	Nov 15	Nov 19	Nov 23	Nov 27	Dec 1	Dec 6

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ashland #2, NE, 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 68003 →Compare Ashland with another place →

Frost risk through the year in Ashland

Frost curve for Ashland, Nebraska (Ashland #2, NE, NOAA 1991–2020): the chance of another 32°F night falls from 90% on April 8 to 50% on April 23 and 10% on May 5; the chance that the first fall one has come rises from 10% on September 29 to 50% on October 16 and 90% on October 27. — In Ashland, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 5 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 29, 147 days later; that gap is longer than at 76% of the 68 Nebraska stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 27 days (April 8 to May 5) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 28 days (September 29 to October 27): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Gretna 4NE, NE, 12 miles northeast, the same gap runs from May 4 to October 4, 6 days longer.

Chance of a frost after each planting date in Ashland
Planted on	Another 32°F night	28°F night
Apr 9	88%	63%
Apr 16	70%	40%
Apr 2350% date	50%	20%
Apr 30	25%	under 10%
May 7	under 10%	under 10%
May 14	under 10%	under 10%

Weather by month in Ashland

July is the warmest month at Ashland #2, NE, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 13°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 23% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,470 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 35% of them (1,213) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 818. Precipitation totals 32.5 inches a year, most in May (5.2") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 63% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ashland #2, NE
Month	High °F	Low °F	Precip. in	32°F night	Nights ≤ 32°F	GDD 50°F
Jan	33	13	0.9	100%	30	0
Feb	38	17	1.0	100%	26	3
Mar	51	28	1.7	100%	23	36
Apr	63	38	3.2	99%	9	130
May	73	50	5.2	23%	1	374
Jun	83	62	4.5	0%	0	670
Jul	87	66	3.7	0%	0	818
Aug	85	63	4.0	0%	0	747
Sep	79	53	3.2	13%	<1	482
Oct	65	41	2.4	96%	6	184
Nov	50	28	1.4	100%	21	26
Dec	37	18	1.3	100%	30	1

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ashland #2, NE (1,118 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, Gretna 4NE, NE, 12 miles northeast of Ashland, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 2 days later (October 18), a season 4 days longer.

Frost dates for 68135 (Omaha) →

When it snows in Ashland, Nebraska

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ashland usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ashland #2, NE, 1.9 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 36 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 68003

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Ashland, Nebraska
When	What to do
February 12 – February 26	Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 26 – March 12	Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 26 – April 9	Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 23 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 68003 is 2 miles from Ashland #2, NE, which stands at 1,118 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68003 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Nebraska →

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.