Frost dates · USDA zone 6a

Frost dates for Omaha, NE

Omaha, NE sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 16 and its first of fall around October 18 — a 183-day freeze-free season in a typical year.

Apr 16Last spring frostmedian · 1 in 10 years after May 6
Oct 18First fall frostmedian · 1 in 10 years before Oct 2
183Freeze-free daysmedian year · ≥159 in 9 of 10
6aUSDA zone2023 map · ZIP 68114
Build a Omaha sauce plan →

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

OddsLast spring freeze afterFirst fall freeze before
9 years in 10Apr 2Oct 29
Median — 1 year in 2Apr 16Oct 18
1 year in 10May 6Oct 2

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: 183 days median, at least 159 in 9 years of 10, at least 203 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 5 and first of Oct 26.

Omaha planting calendar, 2027

Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 16) and median first frost (Oct 18) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.

CropStart indoorsTransplant / plantFirst harvestDays
Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck)—Oct 15prior fallJun 12240 from sow
Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day)Jan 22Mar 19Jul 7110 from transplant
Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea)Direct sowApr 16May 1630 from sow
CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum)Apr 2Apr 2May 1745 from sow
Genovese BasilGenoveseMar 19Apr 30Jun 2960 from transplant
CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)Feb 19Apr 23Jul 775 from transplant
HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense)Feb 5Apr 30Aug 395 from transplant
JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum)Feb 19Apr 23Jul 775 from transplant
Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum)Feb 19Apr 23Jul 1280 from transplant
SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum)Feb 19Apr 23Jul 1280 from transplant
Nantes CarrotScarlet NantesApr 2Apr 2Jun 1170 from sow
TomatilloToma VerdeMar 5Apr 23Jul 270 from transplant
Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste)Mar 5Apr 23Jul 775 from transplant
San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste)Mar 5Apr 23Jul 1280 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.

Omaha frost questions

When is the last frost in Omaha, NE?

The median last 32 °F freeze at OMAHA #1, NE is April 16: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 6; nine years in ten, it comes after April 2. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.

When is the first frost in Omaha, NE?

The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 18. One year in ten it arrives before October 2; nine years in ten, before October 29.

How long is the growing season in Omaha, NE?

183 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 159 days; one year in ten, at least 203 days.

What growing zone is Omaha, NE?

USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 68114. 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 Omaha, NE?

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 6. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 7.

When should I plant peppers in Omaha, NE?

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 Nebraska

All Nebraska frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →