USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 68779 — Stanton, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stanton, NE (1,540 ft), under a mile west.
Updated
In Stanton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Stanton, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 164 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 18
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Stanton
Half of springs at Stanton, NE see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 68 Nebraska stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 9 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 153 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 6, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stanton, 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 68779 →Compare Stanton with another place →
Weather by month in Stanton
July is the warmest month at Stanton, NE, averaging 86°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 11°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,200 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 34% of them (1,101) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 773.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 11 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 38 | 14 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Mar | 52 | 25 | 100% | 23 | 29 |
| Apr | 61 | 36 | 100% | 10 | 98 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 38% | 1 | 353 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 619 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Sep | 78 | 52 | 21% | 1 | 444 |
| Oct | 66 | 38 | 100% | 8 | 158 |
| Nov | 50 | 25 | 100% | 24 | 25 |
| Dec | 36 | 16 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stanton, NE (1,540 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, Norfolk Karl Stefan Airport, NE, 11 miles west of Stanton, has a last frost 2 days later (April 30), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 5), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Stanton, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Stanton usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stanton 7NE, NE, 6.3 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68779
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 68779 is under a mile from Stanton, NE, which stands at 1,540 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68779 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.