Lincoln, NE 68509 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lincoln, 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.
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 Lincoln, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Lincoln before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/24 isn't a guarantee
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 Lincoln compares
About 171 days separate Lincoln's last and first frost, putting it 28,566 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 185 of 605.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Lincoln's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lincoln can differ from the 68509 normal.