USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 68410 — Nebraska City, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Nebraska City 2NW, NE (1,055 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Nebraska City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 18 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 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 182 days (NOAA, Nebraska City 2NW, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 18
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 182 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
- December 7
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nebraska City
Half of springs at Nebraska City 2NW, NE see their last 32°F night by April 18; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 1 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 182 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 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 11 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Nebraska City 2NW, 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 68410 →Compare Nebraska City with another place →
Weather by month in Nebraska City
July is the warmest month at Nebraska City 2NW, NE, averaging 87°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°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 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,512 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 36% of them (1,251) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 809. Precipitation totals 34.1 inches a year, most in May (5.4") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 14 | 0.9 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 39 | 18 | 1.1 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 1.9 | 100% | 20 | 42 |
| Apr | 64 | 39 | 3.4 | 96% | 7 | 146 |
| May | 74 | 51 | 5.4 | 12% | <1 | 395 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.2 | 6% | <1 | 489 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.0 | 91% | 5 | 190 |
| Nov | 51 | 29 | 1.6 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Dec | 38 | 19 | 1.4 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Nebraska City 2NW, NE (1,055 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, Syracuse, NE, 17 miles west of Nebraska City, has a last frost 7 days later (April 25), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 11), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Nebraska City, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nebraska City usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Nebraska City 2NW, NE, 2.7 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68410
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 7 – February 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 21 – April 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 18 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 68410 is 3 miles from Nebraska City 2NW, NE, which stands at 1,055 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68410 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.