Frost Report

All states Ohio

Frost dates for Mansfield, 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 26

typical year

Safe to plant

May 12

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 22

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 29 – Apr 12 –
Spinach – Mar 15 – Apr 5 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Lettuce – Mar 29 – Apr 19 Aug 27 – Sep 10
Radishes – Mar 29 – May 10 Sep 10 – 24
Onions – Mar 29 – Apr 12 –
Potatoes – Apr 5 – 19 –
Carrots – Apr 5 – 26 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Beets – Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 13 – 27
Kale Feb 15 – Mar 1 Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 13 – 27
Broccoli Feb 15 – Mar 1 Apr 12 – 26 Aug 13 – 27
Cabbage Feb 1 – 15 Mar 29 – Apr 12 Aug 13 – 27
Garlic – – Sep 10 – Oct 1
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 17 – 31 May 12 – 26 –
Peppers Mar 10 – 24 May 19 – Jun 2 –
Cucumbers – May 12 – Jun 2 –
Zucchini – May 12 – Jun 9 –
Pumpkins – May 12 – Jun 2 –
Green beans – May 12 – Aug 13 –
Sweet corn – May 12 – Jun 9 –
Basil Apr 7 – 21 May 19 – 26 –

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 12April 26April 14
Fall frost before October 6October 22November 4

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 16 (May 2 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 2.

Towns that use these dates

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

Mansfield, Plymouth, Greenwich, Shiloh, Lucas

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station MANSFIELD LAHM MUNI AP, OH US (USW00014891), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 8 zip codes, all within 15 miles:

44837, 44865, 44875, 44878, 44901, 44902, 44903, 44905

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