USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 68955 — Juniata, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hastings Municipal Airport, NE (1,940 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Juniata, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 22 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 176 days (NOAA, Hastings Municipal Airport, NE).
- Last spring frost
- April 22
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 176 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 15
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 28.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Juniata
Half of springs at Hastings Municipal Airport, NE see their last 32°F night by April 22; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 5 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 176 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 139 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 9 days longer, to about May 1, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hastings Municipal Airport, 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 68955 →Compare Juniata with another place →
Weather by month in Juniata
July is the warmest month at Hastings Municipal Airport, NE, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 16°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 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,535 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 35% of them (1,233) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 837. Precipitation totals 26.6 inches a year, most in May (4.4") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 16 | 0.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 41 | 19 | 0.8 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Mar | 53 | 29 | 1.3 | 100% | 21 | 41 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 2.7 | 98% | 7 | 132 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 4.4 | 20% | 1 | 375 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 681 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 2.1 | 8% | 0 | 496 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 2.0 | 94% | 5 | 181 |
| Nov | 51 | 28 | 1.1 | 100% | 21 | 28 |
| Dec | 39 | 19 | 0.9 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hastings Municipal Airport, NE (1,940 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, Hastings 4N, NE, 9 miles northeast of Juniata, has a last frost 3 days later (April 25), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 14), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Juniata, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Juniata usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hastings 4N, NE, 8.9 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 68955
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 11 – February 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 25 – April 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 68955 is 6 miles from Hastings Municipal Airport, NE, which stands at 1,940 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 68901 (Hastings). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 68955 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.