Benkelman, NE 69041 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Benkelman, NE?
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.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Benkelman, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Benkelman before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/30 isn't a guarantee
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
About 163 days separate Benkelman's last and first frost, putting it 31,491 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within NE, it ranks 337 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Benkelman can differ from the 69041 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Benkelman's frost date answer different questions.