Dakota City, NE 68731 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Dakota City, NE?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/29, roughly 244 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 159 frost-free days later.
Dakota City sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Dakota City before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/16 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dakota City compares
At roughly 159 frost-free days, Dakota City places 32,675 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NE, it ranks 403 of 605.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Dakota City's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Dakota City's dates instead of trusting one.