Frost dates for Cleveland, Ohio
In Cleveland, half of springs have had their last frost by April 8 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after April 20), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 12, leaving about 217 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
Cleveland, Ohio
Last spring frost
April 8
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until April 20: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 12
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 1.
Growing season
217 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 200.
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. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 7 in 6b and 10 in 7a.
Print a year planner for Cleveland
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 8 | April 20 |
| First frost in fall | November 1 | November 12 | November 28 |
The frost-free season between them runs 217 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 236 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 200 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 1 and first on November 22. 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 20 and first on November 3. 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 Cleveland comes between March 29 and April 20, a window of 22 days. That is narrower than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so the typical date is a steadier guide here than in most places.
Among Ohio's 130 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 99 percent have their typical last frost later than Cleveland does.
Planting calendar for Cleveland
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 21 to February 18 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February | ||
| February 4 to March 4 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February 18 to March 11 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| February 25 to March 11 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 4 to 18 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 11 to 25 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 11 to 25 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 25 to April 8 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 25 to April 8 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 8 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| April 22 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| April 22 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 17 to July 1 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 5 |
| July | ||
| July 7 to 21 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 25 |
| August | ||
| August 16 | 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 20 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 21 | 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 25 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 26 | 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 30 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 9 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 19 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 29 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 1 | 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 29 to December 6 | 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 12 days later. That plans around April 20, 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 Cleveland Burke Airport (station USW00004853), 3 miles from the center of Cleveland. It sits at about the same elevation, 580 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.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Euclid, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Willoughby, South Euclid, Eastlake, Willowick and East Cleveland.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 23 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 44092, 44101, 44102, 44103, 44104, 44105, 44106, 44107, 44108, 44109, 44110, 44112, 44113, 44114, 44115, 44117, 44118, 44119, 44120, 44123, 44127, 44128, 44132. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Akron, Ohio: last frost around April 24, first frost around October 28 (30 miles away)
- Detroit, Michigan: last frost around April 21, first frost around October 31 (95 miles away)
- Toledo, Ohio: last frost around April 20, first frost around October 27 (100 miles away)
See frost dates across Ohio, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.