Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Manhattan, KS
Manhattan, KS sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 16 and its first of fall around October 19 — a 185-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 1 | Nov 1 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 16 | Oct 19 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 1 | Oct 1 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 185 days median, at least 163 in 9 years of 10, at least 205 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 6 and first of Oct 29.
Manhattan planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 16) and median first frost (Oct 19) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 22 | Mar 19 | Jul 7 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 16 | May 16 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 2 | Apr 2 | May 17 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 19 | Apr 30 | Jun 29 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 19 | Apr 23 | Jul 7 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 5 | Apr 30 | Aug 3 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 19 | Apr 23 | Jul 7 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 19 | Apr 23 | Jul 12 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 19 | Apr 23 | Jul 12 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 2 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 5 | Apr 23 | Jul 2 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 5 | Apr 23 | Jul 7 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 5 | Apr 23 | Jul 12 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Manhattan grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Manhattan container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Manhattan frost questions
When is the last frost in Manhattan, KS?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MANHATTAN, KS is April 16: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 1; nine years in ten, it comes after April 1. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Manhattan, KS?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 19. One year in ten it arrives before October 1; nine years in ten, before November 1.
How long is the growing season in Manhattan, KS?
185 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 163 days; one year in ten, at least 205 days.
What growing zone is Manhattan, KS?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 66506. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Manhattan, KS?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 5 and transplant around Apr 23, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 1. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 7.
When should I plant peppers in Manhattan, KS?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 19; transplant no earlier than Apr 23, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 7.
Nearby in Kansas
- Topekalast frost Apr 12
- Salinalast frost Apr 18
- Lawrencelast frost Apr 12
- Shawneelast frost Apr 16
- Lenexalast frost Apr 10
- Olathelast frost Apr 13
All Kansas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →