Lawrence, KS 66049 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lawrence, KS?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/21, roughly 236 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 177 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lawrence 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 7 weeks of growing season left in Lawrence before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/21 isn't a guarantee
04/21 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. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lawrence compares
About 177 days separate Lawrence's last and first frost, putting it 25,979 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within KS, it ranks 576 of 745.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Lawrence's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lawrence can differ from the 66049 normal.