Frost dates for Columbia, Missouri
In Columbia, half of springs have had their last frost by April 5 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 21), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 31, leaving about 207 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
Columbia, Missouri
Last spring frost
April 5
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 21: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 31
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 17.
Growing season
207 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 187.
Hardiness zone
Not listed
This ZIP code isn't in the USDA's ZIP code list for the 2023 map.
Print a year planner for Columbia
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 19 | April 5 | April 21 |
| First frost in fall | October 17 | October 31 | November 14 |
The frost-free season between them runs 207 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 227 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 187 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on March 26 and first on November 9. 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 18 and first on October 20. 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 Columbia comes between March 19 and April 21, a window of 33 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Missouri's 171 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 86 percent have their typical last frost later than Columbia does.
Planting calendar for Columbia
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 18 to February 15 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 1 to March 1 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 15 to March 8 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 22 to March 8 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 1 to 15 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 8 to 22 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 8 to 22 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 22 to April 5 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 22 to April 5 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 5 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 19 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 19 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 5 to 19 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 24 |
| June 25 to July 9 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 13 |
| August | ||
| August 4 | 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 8 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 9 | 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 13 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 14 | 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 18 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 28 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 7 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 17 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 17 | 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 16 to 23 | 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 16 days later. That plans around April 21, 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 Columbia U of M (station USC00231801), less than a mile from the center of Columbia. It sits at about the same elevation, 770 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 9 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 65201, 65202, 65203, 65215, 65216, 65255, 65256, 65284, 65287. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Independence, Missouri: last frost around April 7, first frost around October 29 (110 miles away)
- St. Louis, Missouri: last frost around April 8, first frost around October 26 (115 miles away)
- Kansas City, Missouri: last frost around April 4, first frost around November 2 (120 miles away)
See frost dates across Missouri, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.