Frost dates Kansas Wichita

Frost dates in Wichita, Kansas

Last spring frost Apr 11 First fall frost Oct 29 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Wichita is Apr 11 and the average first fall frost is Oct 29, measured at WICHITA, about 6 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 1132°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostOct 2932°F, 50% probability
Days between them201average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Mar 25Nov 10
50%Apr 11Oct 29
10%Apr 26Oct 15

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 11, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after Apr 26. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 15.

Measured at: WICHITA, KS (NOAA station USW00003928), about 6 miles away at 1,335 ft, 28 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • WICHITA WX, KS (NOAA station USC00148847), about 6 miles away at 1,334 ft, 11 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 8, first fall frost Oct 27
  • WICHITA JABARA AP, KS (NOAA station USW00003974), about 7 miles away at 1,421 ft, 23 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 10, first fall frost Oct 27

Seed-starting schedule for Wichita, KS

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 11 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Jan 314 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekJan 3 to Jan 17
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionJan 3 to Jan 17
  2. Week of Jan 1013 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 10 to Jan 17
  3. Week of Jan 1712 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 17 to Jan 31
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 17 to Jan 31
  4. Week of Jan 3110 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliJan 31 to Feb 14
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutJan 31 to Feb 14
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageJan 31 to Feb 14
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleJan 31 to Feb 14
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiJan 31 to Feb 14
  5. Week of Feb 79 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 7 to Feb 14
  6. Week of Feb 148 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 14 to Feb 28
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 14 to Feb 28
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 14 to Feb 28
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 14 to Feb 28
  7. Week of Feb 217 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoFeb 21 to Mar 7
  8. Week of Feb 286 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilFeb 28 to Mar 14
    • Set transplants outSpinachFeb 28 to Mar 21
  9. Week of Mar 144 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 14 to Mar 28
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 14
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 14 to Mar 28
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 14 to Mar 28
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 14 to Mar 28
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 14
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 14
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 14
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 14
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 14 to Mar 21
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 14
  10. Week of Mar 213 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberMar 21 to Mar 28
    • Set transplants outParsleyMar 21 to Mar 28
  11. Week of Mar 282 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoMar 28 to Apr 4
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Mar 28
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Mar 28
  12. Week of Apr 11Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 11
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 11
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 11
  13. Week of Apr 181 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoApr 18 to Apr 25
    • Set transplants outCucumberApr 18 to Apr 25
    • Set transplants outTomatoApr 18 to Apr 25
  14. Week of Apr 252 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outEggplantApr 25 to May 2
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom Apr 25
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom Apr 25

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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