Grand Island, NE 68803 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Grand Island, NE?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/23, about 238 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/15, about 174 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Grand Island in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 7 weeks of growing season left in Grand Island before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/23 isn't a guarantee
04/23 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/09 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Grand Island compares
At roughly 174 frost-free days, Grand Island places 27,331 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NE, it ranks 126 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Grand Island can differ from the 68803 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Grand Island's frost date answer different questions.