Malcolm, NE 68501 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Malcolm, NE?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/24, roughly 239 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 171 frost-free days later.
Malcolm sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Malcolm 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
04/24 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 Malcolm compares
Malcolm's growing season runs about 171 days, ranking 28,780 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 194 of 605.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Malcolm's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Malcolm's dates instead of trusting one.