Laurel, NE 68745 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Laurel, NE?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/02, roughly 247 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 154 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Laurel, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Laurel before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/02 isn't a guarantee
05/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Laurel compares
Laurel's growing season runs about 154 days, ranking 34,382 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 477 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Laurel can differ from the 68745 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Laurel's frost date answer different questions.