Waterbury, NE 68785 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Waterbury, NE, ZIP 68785
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 154 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Waterbury 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
Zone 5a around Waterbury has about 5 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
How much risk comes with planting early here
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 Waterbury compares
Waterbury's growing season runs about 154 days, ranking 34,477 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 487 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Waterbury can differ from the 68785 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Waterbury's frost date answer different questions.