Cortland, OH 44482 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Cortland, OH?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/01, roughly 246 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 167 frost-free days later.
Cortland sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Cortland before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/16 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Cortland compares
Cortland's growing season runs about 167 days, ranking 29,940 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within OH, it ranks 1,254 of 1,383.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Cortland can differ from the 44482 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Cortland's frost date answer different questions.