USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 68787 — Wayne, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wayne, NE (1,465 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Wayne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Wayne, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 163 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 20
- Last snow
- March 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 32.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wayne
Half of springs at Wayne, NE see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 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 11 in half of years, as early as September 27 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 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 159 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 7, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wayne, 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 68787 →Compare Wayne with another place →
Weather by month in Wayne
July is the warmest month at Wayne, NE, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,027 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 34% of them (1,032) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 752. Precipitation totals 27.6 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 11 | 0.6 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 15 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 24 | 1.4 | 100% | 25 | 22 |
| Apr | 60 | 35 | 3.0 | 100% | 12 | 93 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 4.2 | 44% | 1 | 313 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 2.7 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 2.6 | 20% | 1 | 417 |
| Oct | 63 | 38 | 2.3 | 99% | 9 | 133 |
| Nov | 47 | 25 | 1.2 | 100% | 23 | 18 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 0.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wayne, NE (1,465 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, Stanton, NE, 21 miles southwest of Wayne, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 28), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 9), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Wayne, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wayne usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wayne, NE, 1.5 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68787
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 68787 is 2 miles from Wayne, NE, which stands at 1,465 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68787 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.