St. Joseph, MO 64506 Frost Dates
When can you plant in St. Joseph, MO?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/19, about 234 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 180 frost-free days later.
St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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
04/19 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. 05/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How St. Joseph compares
St. Joseph's growing season runs about 180 days, ranking 24,767 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MO, it ranks 1,009 of 1,129.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in St. Joseph can differ from the 64506 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and St. Joseph's frost date answer different questions.