Clearwater, NE 68726 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Clearwater, NE?
Around 05/07 is the usual last spring frost, about 252 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/30, about 144 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clearwater in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Clearwater 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
05/07 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/21 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Clearwater compares
At roughly 144 frost-free days, Clearwater places 36,457 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NE, it ranks 562 of 605.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Clearwater's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Clearwater can differ from the 68726 normal.