Frost dates for Cape Girardeau, MO
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 5
typical year
Safe to plant
April 21
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 25
typical year
Growing season
201 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 8 – 22 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 8 – 29 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 8 – Apr 19 | Sep 13 – 27 |
| Onions | – | Mar 8 – 22 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 15 – 29 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | Mar 8 – 22 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – 22 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Jan 11 – 25 | Mar 8 – 22 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 13 – Oct 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Apr 28 – May 12 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 21 – May 12 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 21 – May 19 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 21 – May 12 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 21 – Aug 16 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 21 – May 19 | – |
| Basil | Mar 17 – 31 | Apr 28 – May 5 | – |
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 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | April 21 | April 5 | March 19 |
| Fall frost before | October 12 | October 25 | November 6 |
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 March 26 (April 11 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 4.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 12 towns.
Cape Girardeau, Scott City, Chaffee, Oran, Benton, Kelso, Delta, East Cape Girardeau, IL, McClure, IL, Thebes, IL, Allenville, Commerce
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station CAPE GIRARDEAU MUNI AP, MO US (USW00003935), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 10 zip codes, all within 10 miles:
62957, 62990, 63703, 63736, 63740, 63742, 63744, 63745, 63758, 63780
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.