Frost dates for Wichita, Kansas
In Wichita, half of springs have had their last frost by April 11 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 26), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 29, leaving about 199 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
Wichita, Kansas
Last spring frost
April 11
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 26: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 29
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 15.
Growing season
199 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 179.
Hardiness zone
7a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 0°F to 5°F. On the 2012 map it was 6b, half a zone colder. All 17 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 7a.
Print a year planner for Wichita
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 25 | April 11 | April 26 |
| First frost in fall | October 15 | October 29 | November 10 |
The frost-free season between them runs 199 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 221 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 179 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 31 and first on November 6. 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 22 and first on October 19. 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 Wichita comes between March 25 and April 26, a window of 32 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, 82 percent have their typical last frost later than Wichita does.
Planting calendar for Wichita
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 24 to February 21 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 7 to March 7 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 21 to March 14 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 28 to March 14 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 7 to 21 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 14 to 28 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 14 to 28 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 28 to April 11 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 28 to April 11 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 11 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 25 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 25 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 3 to 17 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 22 |
| June 23 to July 7 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 11 |
| August | ||
| August 2 | 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 |
| August 6 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 7 | 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 11 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 12 | 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 16 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 26 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 5 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 15 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 15 | 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 13 to 20 | 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 26, 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 Wichita (station USW00003928), 6 miles from the center of Wichita. It sits at about the same elevation, 1,340 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.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Derby and Haysville.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 8 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 67149, 67202, 67209, 67211, 67213, 67215, 67217, 67227. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Topeka, Kansas: last frost around April 12, first frost around October 23 (130 miles away)
- Tulsa, Oklahoma: last frost around March 31, first frost around November 4 (135 miles away)
- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma: last frost around March 30, first frost around November 4 (145 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.