Ogallala, NE 69146 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ogallala, NE?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/22, about 237 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/18, about 176 frost-free days later.
Ogallala sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Ogallala before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/22 isn't a guarantee
04/22 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/08 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 Ogallala compares
Ogallala's growing season runs about 176 days, ranking 26,442 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within NE, it ranks 99 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Ogallala can differ from the 69146 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Ogallala's frost date answer different questions.