Chadron, NE 69337 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chadron, NE?
Around 05/15 is the usual last spring frost, about 260 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/28, about 133 frost-free days later.
Chadron sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 4 weeks of growing season left in Chadron before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chadron compares
At roughly 133 frost-free days, Chadron places 38,058 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within NE, it ranks 597 of 605.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Chadron can differ from the 69337 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Chadron's frost date answer different questions.