Memphis, NE 68042 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Memphis, NE?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/25, roughly 240 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 170 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Memphis in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Memphis before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/25 isn't a guarantee
04/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/09 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Memphis compares
Memphis's growing season runs about 170 days, ranking 29,265 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 226 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Memphis can differ from the 68042 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Memphis's frost date answer different questions.