USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 68134 — Omaha, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Omaha #1, NE (1,280 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Omaha, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 16 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Omaha #1, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 16
- First fall frost
- October 18
- 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 21
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 27.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Omaha
Half of springs at Omaha #1, NE see their last 32°F night by April 16; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 68 Nebraska stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 18 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 22, 14 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 159 one year in ten. On average 131 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 16 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Omaha #1, 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 68134 →Compare Omaha with another place →
Weather by month in Omaha
July is the warmest month at Omaha #1, NE, averaging 85°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 15°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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,493 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 35% of them (1,218) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 798.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 15 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 38 | 20 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 100% | 21 | 42 |
| Apr | 64 | 41 | 91% | 6 | 149 |
| May | 72 | 52 | 21% | 1 | 371 |
| Jun | 81 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Jul | 85 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Aug | 84 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Sep | 77 | 57 | 6% | <1 | 497 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 93% | 5 | 188 |
| Nov | 50 | 30 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Omaha #1, NE (1,280 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, Omaha Eppley Airfield, NE, 8 miles east of Omaha and 298 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days later (April 18), a first frost 3 days later (October 21), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Omaha, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Omaha usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Omaha Eppley Airfield, NE, 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68134
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 5 – February 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 19 – April 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 68134 is 4 miles from Omaha #1, NE, which stands at 1,280 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 68104 (Omaha). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68134 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.