USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 68137 — Omaha, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gretna 4NE, NE (1,240 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Omaha, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Gretna 4NE, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 179 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 Omaha
Half of springs at Gretna 4NE, NE see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 5, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 4 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 29% 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 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 197 days one year in ten and falls short of 159 one year in ten. On average 136 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 May 1, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gretna 4NE, 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 68137 →Compare Omaha with another place →
Weather by month in Omaha
July is the warmest month at Gretna 4NE, NE, averaging 86°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 14°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 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,408 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 35% of them (1,206) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 801. Precipitation totals 33.3 inches a year, most in June (5.4") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 14 | 0.9 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 18 | 1.2 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 1.9 | 100% | 20 | 38 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 3.3 | 98% | 7 | 126 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 5.0 | 18% | <1 | 371 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 667 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 2.9 | 5% | 0 | 476 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 2.6 | 91% | 5 | 172 |
| Nov | 49 | 29 | 1.4 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Dec | 37 | 19 | 1.4 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gretna 4NE, NE (1,240 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 #1, NE, 11 miles northeast of Omaha, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 16), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Omaha, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Omaha 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, 4.9 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68137
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 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 68137 is 5 miles from Gretna 4NE, NE, which stands at 1,240 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 68135 (Omaha). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68137 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.