USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 69153 — Ogallala, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ogallala, NE (3,230 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Ogallala, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Ogallala, NE).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 163 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 14
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ogallala
Half of springs at Ogallala, NE see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 12 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 12 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 10 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 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 166 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 10, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 16°F | Oct 28 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ogallala, 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 69153 →Compare Ogallala with another place →
Weather by month in Ogallala
July is the warmest month at Ogallala, NE, averaging 90°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 15°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,168 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 32% of them (1,011) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 814. Precipitation totals 19.5 inches a year, most in May (3.2") and least in December (0.4"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 15 | 0.5 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 43 | 18 | 0.6 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Mar | 53 | 26 | 1.1 | 100% | 25 | 23 |
| Apr | 62 | 35 | 2.2 | 99% | 13 | 88 |
| May | 72 | 46 | 3.2 | 52% | 2 | 297 |
| Jun | 83 | 57 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 601 |
| Jul | 90 | 63 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Aug | 87 | 61 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Sep | 79 | 50 | 1.5 | 14% | <1 | 451 |
| Oct | 65 | 36 | 1.3 | 100% | 10 | 131 |
| Nov | 51 | 25 | 0.6 | 100% | 27 | 14 |
| Dec | 41 | 16 | 0.4 | 100% | 31 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ogallala, NE (3,230 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
When it snows in Ogallala, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Ogallala usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Ogallala, NE, 1.4 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 20 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 69153
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 69153 is 1 mile from Ogallala, NE, which stands at 3,230 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 69153 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.