Frost dates · USDA zone 7a
Frost dates for Springfield, MO
Springfield, MO sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 9 and its first of fall around October 27 — a 199-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 26 | Nov 9 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 9 | Oct 27 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 27 | Oct 14 |
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: 199 days median, at least 179 in 9 years of 10, at least 219 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 30 and first of Nov 4.
Springfield planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 9) and median first frost (Oct 27) 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 15 | Mar 12 | Jun 30 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 9 | May 9 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 26 | Mar 26 | May 10 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 12 | Apr 23 | Jun 22 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 12 | Apr 16 | Jun 30 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 29 | Apr 23 | Jul 27 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 12 | Apr 16 | Jun 30 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 12 | Apr 16 | Jul 5 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 12 | Apr 16 | Jul 5 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 26 | Mar 26 | Jun 4 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 26 | Apr 16 | Jun 25 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 26 | Apr 16 | Jun 30 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 26 | Apr 16 | Jul 5 | 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 Springfield grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Springfield container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Springfield frost questions
When is the last frost in Springfield, MO?
The median last 32 °F freeze at SPRINGFIELD, MO is April 9: 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 26. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Springfield, MO?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 27. One year in ten it arrives before October 14; nine years in ten, before November 9.
How long is the growing season in Springfield, MO?
199 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 179 days; one year in ten, at least 219 days.
What growing zone is Springfield, MO?
USDA hardiness zone 7a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 65897. 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 Springfield, MO?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 26 and transplant around Apr 16, 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 Jun 30.
When should I plant peppers in Springfield, MO?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 12; transplant no earlier than Apr 16, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jun 30.
Nearby in Missouri
- Joplinlast frost Apr 9
- Jefferson Citylast frost Apr 10
- Columbialast frost Apr 5
- Lee's Summitlast frost Apr 7
- Blue Springslast frost Apr 7
- Independencelast frost Apr 10
All Missouri frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →