Riverton, NE 68952 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Riverton, NE?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 157 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Riverton 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 5 weeks of growing season left in Riverton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 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. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Riverton compares
About 157 days separate Riverton's last and first frost, putting it 33,471 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 448 of 605.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Riverton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Riverton's dates instead of trusting one.