Topeka, KS 66626 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Topeka, KS?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/16, roughly 231 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 189 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Topeka 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 Topeka 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
04/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/01 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/27 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Topeka compares
At roughly 189 frost-free days, Topeka places 21,377 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within KS, it ranks 318 of 745.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Topeka can differ from the 66626 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Topeka's frost date answer different questions.