Frost Report

All states Ohio

Frost dates for Washington Court House, 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 23

typical year

Safe to plant

May 8

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 21

typical year

Growing season

181 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 26 – Apr 9 –
Spinach – Mar 12 – Apr 2 Aug 26 – Sep 9
Lettuce – Mar 26 – Apr 16 Aug 26 – Sep 9
Radishes – Mar 26 – May 7 Sep 9 – 23
Onions – Mar 26 – Apr 9 –
Potatoes – Apr 2 – 16 –
Carrots – Apr 2 – 23 Jul 29 – Aug 12
Beets – Mar 26 – Apr 9 Aug 12 – 26
Kale Feb 12 – 26 Mar 26 – Apr 9 Aug 12 – 26
Broccoli Feb 12 – 26 Apr 9 – 23 Aug 12 – 26
Cabbage Jan 29 – Feb 12 Mar 26 – Apr 9 Aug 12 – 26
Garlic – – Sep 9 – 30
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 12 –
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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 8April 23April 10
Fall frost before October 8October 21October 31

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 11 (April 25 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 1.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 9 towns.

Washington Court House, Greenfield, Mount Sterling, Jeffersonville, Bloomingburg, New Holland, South Salem, Milledgeville, Octa

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OH US (USC00338794), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 14 miles:

43106, 43128, 43142, 43143, 43145, 43160, 45123

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