Riverdale, NE 68849 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Riverdale, NE, ZIP 68849
Around 04/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 245 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 162 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Riverdale 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
Zone 5b around Riverdale has about 6 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.
Why 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 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. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Riverdale compares
About 162 days separate Riverdale's last and first frost, putting it 31,867 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 361 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Riverdale can differ from the 68849 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and Riverdale's frost date answer different questions.