Frost dates for David City, 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
April 26
typical year
Safe to plant
May 8
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 11
typical year
Growing season
168 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 29 – Apr 12 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Aug 16 – 30 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 29 – May 10 | Aug 30 – Sep 13 |
| Onions | – | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 5 – 19 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 5 – 26 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Beets | – | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Kale | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Broccoli | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 12 – 26 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Cabbage | Feb 1 – 15 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 30 – Sep 20 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 13 – 27 | May 8 – 22 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 6 – 20 | May 15 – 29 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 8 – Aug 2 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Basil | Apr 3 – 17 | May 15 – 22 | – |
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 | May 8 | April 26 | April 12 |
| Fall frost before | September 28 | October 11 | October 23 |
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 17 (May 1 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 20.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 9 towns.
David City, Bellwood, Brainard, Dwight, Octavia, Bruno, Linwood, Abie, Garrison
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station DAVID CITY, NE US (USC00252205), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
68001, 68014, 68036, 68624, 68626, 68632, 68635
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.