Frost Report

All states Nebraska

Frost dates for Callaway, NE

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

May 3

typical year

Safe to plant

May 14

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 6

typical year

Growing season

156 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 – Apr 5 – 19 –
Spinach – Mar 22 – Apr 12 Aug 11 – 25
Lettuce – Apr 5 – 26 Aug 11 – 25
Radishes – Apr 5 – May 17 Aug 25 – Sep 8
Onions – Apr 5 – 19 –
Potatoes – Apr 12 – 26 –
Carrots – Apr 12 – May 3 Jul 14 – 28
Beets – Apr 5 – 19 Jul 28 – Aug 11
Kale Feb 22 – Mar 8 Apr 5 – 19 Jul 28 – Aug 11
Broccoli Feb 22 – Mar 8 Apr 19 – May 3 Jul 28 – Aug 11
Cabbage Feb 8 – 22 Apr 5 – 19 Jul 28 – Aug 11
Garlic – – Aug 25 – Sep 15
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 14 – 28 –
Peppers Mar 12 – 26 May 21 – Jun 4 –
Cucumbers – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Zucchini – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Pumpkins – May 14 – Jun 4 –
Green beans – May 14 – Jul 28 –
Sweet corn – May 14 – Jun 11 –
Basil Apr 9 – 23 May 21 – 28 –

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 May 14May 3April 20
Fall frost before September 23October 6October 18

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 22 (May 5 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 16.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.

Callaway

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station CALLAWAY 8WSW, NE US (USC00251408), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 6 miles:

68825

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