Columbus, OH 43215 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Columbus, OH?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/20, about 235 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 185 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Columbus in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Columbus before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Columbus compares
At roughly 185 frost-free days, Columbus places 22,997 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within OH, it ranks 531 of 1,383.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Columbus can differ from the 43215 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Columbus's frost date answer different questions.