Benkelman, NE 69021 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Benkelman, NE, ZIP 69021
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/30, roughly 245 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 163 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Benkelman 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 Benkelman 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 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 Benkelman compares
Benkelman's growing season runs about 163 days, ranking 31,490 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 336 of 605.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Benkelman's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Benkelman can differ from the 69021 normal.