Clinton, MO 64735 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Clinton, MO?
Around 04/17 is the usual last spring frost, about 232 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 187 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clinton 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 Clinton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/17 isn't a guarantee
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Clinton compares
About 187 days separate Clinton's last and first frost, putting it 22,315 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MO, it ranks 833 of 1,129.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Clinton can differ from the 64735 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Clinton's frost date answer different questions.