Frost dates for Topeka, Kansas
In Topeka, half of springs have had their last frost by April 12 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 27), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 23, leaving about 191 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Topeka, Kansas
Last spring frost
April 12
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 27: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 23
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 8.
Growing season
191 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 171.
Hardiness zone
6b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −5°F to 0°F. On the 2012 map it was 6a, half a zone colder. All 13 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 6b.
Print a year planner for Topeka
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | March 29 | April 12 | April 27 |
| First frost in fall | October 8 | October 23 | November 4 |
The frost-free season between them runs 191 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 212 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 171 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 31 and first on November 1. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on April 25 and first on October 13. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Topeka comes between March 29 and April 27, a window of 29 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Kansas's 176 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 78 percent have their typical last frost later than Topeka does.
Planting calendar for Topeka
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 25 to February 22 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 8 to March 8 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 22 to March 15 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 1 to 15 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 8 to 22 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 15 to 29 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 15 to 29 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 29 to April 12 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 29 to April 12 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 12 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 26 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 26 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May | ||
| May 28 to June 11 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 16 |
| June | ||
| June 17 to July 1 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 5 |
| July | ||
| July 27 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| July 31 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 1 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 5 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 6 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 10 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 20 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 30 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 9 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 8 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 8 to 15 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 15 days later. That plans around April 27, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Topeka Municipal Airport (station USW00013996), 5 miles from the center of Topeka. It sits at about the same elevation, 880 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 15 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 66429, 66533, 66539, 66603, 66604, 66606, 66607, 66608, 66611, 66612, 66616, 66617, 66618, 66621, 66622. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Overland Park, Kansas: last frost around April 8, first frost around October 29 (55 miles away)
- Kansas City, Missouri: last frost around April 4, first frost around November 2 (60 miles away)
- Independence, Missouri: last frost around April 7, first frost around October 29 (70 miles away)
See frost dates across Kansas, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.