Springfield, MO 65802 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Springfield, MO?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/04, about 219 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/27, about 204 frost-free days later.
Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Springfield, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Springfield before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/04 isn't a guarantee
04/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Springfield compares
Springfield's growing season runs about 204 days, ranking 16,451 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MO, it ranks 275 of 1,129.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Springfield can differ from the 65802 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 7a and Springfield's frost date answer different questions.