Kansas frost dates

Average last spring and first fall frost dates for Kansas’s largest cities, with each city’s USDA hardiness zone.

Reviewed October 2026

Among Kansas’s 20 largest cities, the average last spring frost ranges from Apr 4 in Kansas City to Apr 28 in Garden City. Elevation, distance from the coast and city heat all shift the date, so use your own ZIP code below for the closest match.

City	Average last spring frost	Average first fall frost	Frost-free days	Hardiness zone	Weather station used
Wichita	Apr 11	Oct 29	201	7a	Wichita, KS, 6 mi
Overland Park	Apr 10	Oct 29	202	6b	Olathe 3E, KS, 4 mi
Kansas City	Apr 4	Nov 2	212	6b	Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO, 8 mi
Olathe	Apr 10	Oct 29	202	6b	Olathe 3E, KS, 3 mi
Topeka	Apr 16	Oct 22	189	6b	Topeka - Nws, KS, 4 mi
Lawrence	Apr 12	Oct 28	199	6b	Lawrence, KS
Shawnee	Apr 16	Oct 22	189	6b	Bonner Springs, KS, 6 mi
Lenexa	Apr 10	Oct 29	202	6b	Olathe 3E, KS, 6 mi
Manhattan	Apr 16	Oct 19	186	6a	Manhattan, KS
Salina	Apr 18	Oct 23	188	6b	Salina Muni Airport, KS, 2 mi
Hutchinson	Apr 18	Oct 21	186	6b	Hutchinson, KS, 2 mi
Leavenworth	Apr 12	Oct 27	198	6b	Leavenworth, KS
Leawood	Apr 8	Oct 29	204	6b	Olathe Johnson Co Exec Airport, KS, 7 mi
Garden City	Apr 28	Oct 17	172	6b	Garden City Exp Stn, KS, 2 mi
Dodge City	Apr 21	Oct 20	182	6b	Dodge City, KS, 3 mi
Derby	Apr 14	Oct 22	191	7a	Haysville 3Se, KS, 4 mi
Gardner	Apr 13	Oct 24	194	6b	Olathe Johnson Co Airport, KS, 2 mi
Emporia	Apr 15	Oct 23	191	6b	Emporia 3 Nw, KS, 2 mi
Prairie Village	Apr 4	Nov 2	212	6b	Kansas City Downtown Airport, MO, 9 mi
Junction City	Apr 12	Oct 26	197	6b	Milford Lake, KS, 4 mi

Frost dates are the dates after (spring) or before (fall) which the chance of a 32°F freeze is below 50%, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for the weather station nearest each city’s center. Zones are from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the ZIP codes around each city; a range means nearby ZIP codes differ. Cities are the 20 largest by Census Bureau 2024 population estimates.

An average is not a guarantee. There’s still about a 1 in 2 chance of frost after the average last spring date. Many gardeners wait an extra week or two before setting out tomatoes, peppers and basil, and keep covers handy.

Planting dates for Wichita

Timed from Wichita’s average last frost of Apr 11, using University of New Hampshire Extension’s planting guidance. For your exact dates, enter your ZIP code in the calendar below.

Crop	Start seeds indoors	Plant outside
Tomatoes	Feb 21 to Mar 7	Apr 18 to Apr 25
Peppers	Feb 14 to Feb 28	Apr 25
Lettuce	Feb 7 to Feb 14	Mar 14 to Mar 21
Broccoli	Jan 31 to Feb 14	Mar 14 to Mar 28
Cucumbers	Mar 21 to Mar 28	Apr 18 to Apr 25
Basil	Feb 28 to Mar 14	Apr 25

When to plant, for your garden

Your seed-starting and planting dates, timed from your last spring frost. Full calendar, 12 crops.

ZIP code

Last frost date

Enter your ZIP code to look up your average last frost date and hardiness zone, or type the date in yourself.

Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023, ZIP code data from PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed Oct. 20, 2026.

More about frost dates

How to find your last frost date, and what your zone means · Full planting calendar · How to start seeds indoors

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