Colby, KS 67701 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Colby, KS?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/06, about 251 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 156 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 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 Colby, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Colby 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
05/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Colby compares
Colby's growing season runs about 156 days, ranking 33,571 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within KS, it ranks 739 of 745.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Colby can differ from the 67701 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Colby's frost date answer different questions.