Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Topeka, KS
Topeka, KS sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 12 and its first of fall around October 23 — a 191-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 | Mar 29 | Nov 4 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 12 | Oct 23 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 27 | Oct 8 |
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: 191 days median, at least 171 in 9 years of 10, at least 212 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 Mar 31 and first of Nov 1.
Topeka planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 12) and median first frost (Oct 23) 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 18 | Mar 15 | Jul 3 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 12 | May 12 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 29 | Mar 29 | May 13 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 15 | Apr 26 | Jun 25 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 15 | Apr 19 | Jul 3 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 1 | Apr 26 | Jul 30 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 15 | Apr 19 | Jul 3 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 15 | Apr 19 | Jul 8 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 15 | Apr 19 | Jul 8 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 29 | Mar 29 | Jun 7 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 1 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 1 | Apr 19 | Jul 3 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 1 | Apr 19 | Jul 8 | 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 Topeka grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Topeka container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Topeka frost questions
When is the last frost in Topeka, KS?
The median last 32 °F freeze at TOPEKA MUNI AP, KS is April 12: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 27; nine years in ten, it comes after March 29. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Topeka, KS?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 23. One year in ten it arrives before October 8; nine years in ten, before November 4.
How long is the growing season in Topeka, KS?
191 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 171 days; one year in ten, at least 212 days.
What growing zone is Topeka, KS?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 66621. 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 Topeka, KS?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 1 and transplant around Apr 19, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 27. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 3.
When should I plant peppers in Topeka, KS?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 15; transplant no earlier than Apr 19, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 3.
Nearby in Kansas
- Lawrencelast frost Apr 12
- Shawneelast frost Apr 16
- Lenexalast frost Apr 10
- Olathelast frost Apr 13
- Manhattanlast frost Apr 16
- Kansas Citylast frost Apr 16
All Kansas frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →