USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 68310 — Beatrice, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beatrice 1N, NE (1,297 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Beatrice, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Beatrice 1N, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 172 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 28
- Last snow
- March 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 18.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beatrice
Half of springs at Beatrice 1N, NE see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 6 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 15 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 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 2, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beatrice 1N, 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 68310 →Compare Beatrice with another place →
Weather by month in Beatrice
July is the warmest month at Beatrice 1N, NE, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°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 August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,536 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 90% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 35% of them (1,225) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 835. Precipitation totals 31.4 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 14 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 40 | 17 | 0.9 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Mar | 52 | 27 | 1.7 | 100% | 22 | 41 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 2.9 | 99% | 8 | 129 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 5.1 | 25% | 1 | 376 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 675 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 764 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.0 | 12% | <1 | 493 |
| Oct | 67 | 40 | 2.3 | 96% | 7 | 190 |
| Nov | 51 | 27 | 1.3 | 100% | 21 | 27 |
| Dec | 39 | 18 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beatrice 1N, NE (1,297 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, Crete 4ESE, NE, 25 miles north of Beatrice and 163 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 23), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 12), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Beatrice, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beatrice usually arrives around November 28, and the last of the season around March 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Beatrice 1N, NE, 2.4 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 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68310
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 68310 is 2 miles from Beatrice 1N, NE, which stands at 1,297 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68310 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.