Frost dates Nebraska Omaha

Frost dates in Omaha, Nebraska

Last spring frost Apr 18 First fall frost Oct 21 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Omaha is Apr 18 and the average first fall frost is Oct 21, measured at OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, about 4 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 1832°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostOct 2132°F, 50% probability
Days between them186average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Apr 5Nov 1
50%Apr 18Oct 21
10%Apr 30Oct 6

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 18, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 30. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 6.

Measured at: OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD, NE (NOAA station USW00014942), about 4 miles away at 982 ft, 30 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • OMAHA #1, NE (NOAA station USW00094918), about 8 miles away at 1,280 ft, 11 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 16, first fall frost Oct 18
  • GRETNA 4NE, NE (NOAA station USC00253467), about 15 miles away at 1,240 ft, 15 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 21, first fall frost Oct 18

Seed-starting schedule for Omaha, NE

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 18 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Jan 1014 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekJan 10 to Jan 24
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionJan 10 to Jan 24
  2. Week of Jan 1713 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 17 to Jan 24
  3. Week of Jan 2412 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 24 to Feb 7
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 24 to Feb 7
  4. Week of Feb 710 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliFeb 7 to Feb 21
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutFeb 7 to Feb 21
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageFeb 7 to Feb 21
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleFeb 7 to Feb 21
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiFeb 7 to Feb 21
  5. Week of Feb 149 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 14 to Feb 21
  6. Week of Feb 218 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 21 to Mar 7
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 21 to Mar 7
  7. Week of Feb 287 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 28 to Mar 14
  8. Week of Mar 76 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilMar 7 to Mar 21
    • Set transplants outSpinachMar 7 to Mar 28
  9. Week of Mar 214 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 21 to Apr 4
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 21
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 21 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 21 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 21 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 21
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 21
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 21
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 21
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 21 to Mar 28
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 21
  10. Week of Mar 283 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 28 to Apr 4
  11. Week of Apr 42 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoApr 4 to Apr 11
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Apr 4
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Apr 4
  12. Week of Apr 18Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 18
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 18
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 18
  13. Week of Apr 251 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 25 to May 2
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 25 to May 2
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 25 to May 2
  14. Week of May 22 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outEggplantMay 2 to May 9
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom May 2
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom May 2

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Nebraska

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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