Frost Report

All states Nebraska

Frost dates for Rulo, 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 18

typical year

Safe to plant

May 2

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 14

typical year

Growing season

177 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 21 – Apr 4 –
Spinach – Mar 7 – 28 Aug 19 – Sep 2
Lettuce – Mar 21 – Apr 11 Aug 19 – Sep 2
Radishes – Mar 21 – May 2 Sep 2 – 16
Onions – Mar 21 – Apr 4 –
Potatoes – Mar 28 – Apr 11 –
Carrots – Mar 28 – Apr 18 Jul 22 – Aug 5
Beets – Mar 21 – Apr 4 Aug 5 – 19
Kale Feb 7 – 21 Mar 21 – Apr 4 Aug 5 – 19
Broccoli Feb 7 – 21 Apr 4 – 18 Aug 5 – 19
Cabbage Jan 24 – Feb 7 Mar 21 – Apr 4 Aug 5 – 19
Garlic – – Sep 2 – 23
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 7 – 21 May 2 – 16 –
Peppers Feb 28 – Mar 14 May 9 – 23 –
Cucumbers – May 2 – 23 –
Zucchini – May 2 – 30 –
Pumpkins – May 2 – 23 –
Green beans – May 2 – Aug 5 –
Sweet corn – May 2 – 30 –
Basil Mar 28 – Apr 11 May 9 – 16 –

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 2April 18April 5
Fall frost before September 28October 14October 26

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 9 (April 23 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 25.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.

Rulo, Craig, MO, Big Lake, MO, Reserve, KS, Corning, MO

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station FALLS CITY 4NE, NE US (USC00252851), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 9 miles:

64437, 68431

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