McCool Junction, NE 68401 Frost Dates
When can you plant in McCool Junction, NE?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/25, roughly 240 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/14, about 170 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts McCool Junction 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 McCool Junction 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
04/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/10 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 McCool Junction compares
About 170 days separate McCool Junction's last and first frost, putting it 29,195 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 215 of 605.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and McCool Junction's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around McCool Junction's dates instead of trusting one.