USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 69341 — Gering, Nebraska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Scottsbluff 1E, NE (3,909 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Gering, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Scottsbluff 1E, NE).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 147 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 1
- Last snow
- May 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 39.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gering
Half of springs at Scottsbluff 1E, NE see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 21 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 3 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 68 Nebraska stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 170 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 10 days longer, to about May 18, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 7 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Scottsbluff 1E, 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 69341 →Compare Gering with another place →
Weather by month in Gering
July is the warmest month at Scottsbluff 1E, NE, averaging 89°F by day and 60°F at night; December 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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,773 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 68 Nebraska stations. 30% of them (841) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 750. Precipitation totals 15.8 inches a year, most in May (2.9") and least in January (0.3"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 15 | 0.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 43 | 17 | 0.5 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Mar | 53 | 24 | 1.0 | 100% | 26 | 18 |
| Apr | 61 | 33 | 1.7 | 100% | 14 | 66 |
| May | 70 | 43 | 2.9 | 77% | 3 | 234 |
| Jun | 82 | 53 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Jul | 89 | 60 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Aug | 87 | 57 | 1.2 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Sep | 79 | 47 | 1.3 | 40% | 1 | 390 |
| Oct | 64 | 34 | 1.3 | 100% | 13 | 99 |
| Nov | 51 | 23 | 0.6 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Dec | 40 | 15 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Scottsbluff 1E, NE (3,909 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, Mitchell 5E, NE, 10 miles north of Gering and 171 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 7), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 2).
When it snows in Gering, Nebraska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Gering usually arrives around November 1, and the last of the season around May 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Scottsbluff 1E, NE, 4.3 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 6 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 69341
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 69341 is 4 miles from Scottsbluff 1E, NE, which stands at 3,909 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 69361 (Scottsbluff). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 69341 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.