Frost Report

All states Kansas

Frost dates for Hiawatha, KS

When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.

Last spring frost

April 14

typical year

Safe to plant

April 28

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 22

typical year

Growing season

188 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 17 – 31 –
Spinach – Mar 3 – 24 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Lettuce – Mar 17 – Apr 7 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Radishes – Mar 17 – Apr 28 Sep 10 – 24
Onions – Mar 17 – 31 –
Potatoes – Mar 24 – Apr 7 –
Carrots – Mar 24 – Apr 14 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Beets – Mar 17 – 31 Aug 13 – 27
Kale Feb 3 – 17 Mar 17 – 31 Aug 13 – 27
Broccoli Feb 3 – 17 Mar 31 – Apr 14 Aug 13 – 27
Cabbage Jan 20 – Feb 3 Mar 17 – 31 Aug 13 – 27
Garlic – – Sep 10 – Oct 1
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 3 – 17 Apr 28 – May 12 –
Peppers Feb 24 – Mar 10 May 5 – 19 –
Cucumbers – Apr 28 – May 19 –
Zucchini – Apr 28 – May 26 –
Pumpkins – Apr 28 – May 19 –
Green beans – Apr 28 – Aug 13 –
Sweet corn – Apr 28 – May 26 –
Basil Mar 24 – Apr 7 May 5 – 12 –

Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.

The year at a glance

Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting

The chance of frost, by date

1 year in 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after April 28April 14April 1
Fall frost before October 5October 22November 2

Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.

Hard freeze (28°F)

A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 5 (April 19 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 1.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 8 towns.

Hiawatha, Sabetha, Fairview, Morrill, Robinson, Powhattan, Leona, Hamlin

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station HIAWATHA 1 S, KS US (USC00143634), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 16 miles:

66425, 66434, 66515, 66527, 66532, 66534

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.