USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 68133 — Papillion, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Springfield 7E, NE (1,065 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Papillion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Springfield 7E, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 183 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 22
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 36.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Papillion
Half of springs at Springfield 7E, NE see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 72% of the 68 Nebraska stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, longer than at 96% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 203 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 134 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 28, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Springfield 7E, 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 68133 →Compare Papillion with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Gretna 4NE, NE, 10 miles west of Papillion and 175 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (April 21), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 18), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Papillion, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Papillion usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Gretna 4NE, NE, 9.8 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 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68133
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 68133 is 6 miles from Springfield 7E, NE, which stands at 1,065 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 68046 (Papillion). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68133 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.