Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Lancaster, OH
Lancaster, OH sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 22 and its first of fall around October 24 — a 183-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 7 | Nov 6 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 22 | Oct 24 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 9 | 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: 183 days median, at least 161 in 9 years of 10, at least 204 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 8 and first of Nov 3.
Lancaster planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 22) and median first frost (Oct 24) 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 28 | Mar 25 | Jul 13 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 22 | May 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 8 | Apr 8 | May 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 25 | May 6 | Jul 5 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 25 | Apr 29 | Jul 13 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 11 | May 6 | Aug 9 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 25 | Apr 29 | Jul 13 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 25 | Apr 29 | Jul 18 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 25 | Apr 29 | Jul 18 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 8 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 11 | Apr 29 | Jul 8 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 11 | Apr 29 | Jul 13 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 11 | Apr 29 | Jul 18 | 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 Lancaster grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Lancaster container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Lancaster frost questions
When is the last frost in Lancaster, OH?
The median last 32 °F freeze at LANCASTER, OH is April 22: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 9; nine years in ten, it comes after April 7. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Lancaster, OH?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 24. One year in ten it arrives before October 8; nine years in ten, before November 6.
How long is the growing season in Lancaster, OH?
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 161 days; one year in ten, at least 204 days.
What growing zone is Lancaster, OH?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 43130. 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 Lancaster, OH?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 11 and transplant around Apr 29, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 9. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 13.
When should I plant peppers in Lancaster, OH?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 25; transplant no earlier than Apr 29, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 13.
Nearby in Ohio
- Reynoldsburglast frost Apr 18
- Newarklast frost Apr 29
- Columbuslast frost Apr 20
- Grove Citylast frost Apr 23
- Dublinlast frost Apr 22
- Delawarelast frost Apr 19
All Ohio frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →