Howells, NE 68641 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Howells, NE?
Around 04/25 is the usual last spring frost, about 240 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/11, about 168 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Howells, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Howells 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 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Howells compares
About 168 days separate Howells's last and first frost, putting it 29,764 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 261 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Howells can differ from the 68641 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Howells's frost date answer different questions.