Frost Report

All states Ohio

Frost dates for Hamilton, OH

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 22

typical year

Safe to plant

May 10

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 18

typical year

Growing season

178 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 25 – Apr 8 –
Spinach – Mar 11 – Apr 1 Aug 23 – Sep 6
Lettuce – Mar 25 – Apr 15 Aug 23 – Sep 6
Radishes – Mar 25 – May 6 Sep 6 – 20
Onions – Mar 25 – Apr 8 –
Potatoes – Apr 1 – 15 –
Carrots – Apr 1 – 22 Jul 26 – Aug 9
Beets – Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 9 – 23
Kale Feb 11 – 25 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 9 – 23
Broccoli Feb 11 – 25 Apr 8 – 22 Aug 9 – 23
Cabbage Jan 28 – Feb 11 Mar 25 – Apr 8 Aug 9 – 23
Garlic – – Sep 6 – 27
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 15 – 29 May 10 – 24 –
Peppers Mar 8 – 22 May 17 – 31 –
Cucumbers – May 10 – 31 –
Zucchini – May 10 – Jun 7 –
Pumpkins – May 10 – 31 –
Green beans – May 10 – Aug 9 –
Sweet corn – May 10 – Jun 7 –
Basil Apr 5 – 19 May 17 – 24 –

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 10April 22April 6
Fall frost before October 5October 18October 29

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 8 (April 28 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 27.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 12 towns.

Hamilton, Fairfield, Mason, Forest Park, Trenton, Sharonville, Springdale, Woodlawn, Lincoln Heights, New Miami, Glendale, Seven Mile

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station HAMILTON BUTLER CO RGNL AP, OH US (USW00053855), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 9 zip codes, all within 11 miles:

45011, 45015, 45040, 45055, 45062, 45067, 45069, 45240, 45246

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