Plato, MO 65470 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Plato, MO?
Around 04/15 is the usual last spring frost, about 230 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 188 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Plato 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 Plato 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
04/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/29 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 Plato compares
Plato's growing season runs about 188 days, ranking 22,255 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MO, it ranks 828 of 1,129.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Plato's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Plato's dates instead of trusting one.