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Frost dates for St Louis Sci Center, Missouri

Half of years have their last spring frost by April 1, but 1 year in 10 still frosts after April 18.

A frost date is really a percentile from 30 years of records at a nearby weather station: in about half of years a frost still comes after the median date. Both numbers are below, so you can choose the risk yourself.

The odds

Last spring frost

How often a frost still comes on or after each date.

1 year in 10
April 18
1 year in 5
April 11
3 years in 10
April 7
2 years in 5
April 4
Half of years (the median)
April 1

First fall freeze

How often the first freeze comes on or before each date.

1 year in 10
October 24
1 year in 5
October 28
3 years in 10
October 31
2 years in 5
November 2
Half of years (the median)
November 4
Growing season
about 218 days
Hardiness zones nearby
6b, 7a
Summer days
a usual high of about 31 °C88 °F
Lettuce and spinach run to seed
May to September, in hot, long days (how we know)

Summer and rain

A growing garden needs about 25 mm1 in of water a week, rain and watering together. Here is what a normal month brings.

Month by month

January
high ~5 °C41 °F · low ~-4 °C25 °F · rain ~69 mm2.7 in
February
high ~8 °C46 °F · low ~-2 °C28 °F · rain ~58 mm2.3 in
March
high ~14 °C56 °F · low ~3 °C38 °F · rain ~92 mm3.6 in
April
high ~20 °C68 °F · low ~9 °C48 °F · rain ~123 mm4.8 in
May
high ~25 °C77 °F · low ~15 °C59 °F · rain ~124 mm4.9 in
June
high ~30 °C86 °F · low ~20 °C67 °F · rain ~120 mm4.7 in
July
high ~32 °C90 °F · low ~22 °C72 °F · rain ~107 mm4.2 in
August
high ~31 °C89 °F · low ~21 °C70 °F · rain ~95 mm3.7 in
September
high ~28 °C82 °F · low ~16 °C62 °F · rain ~87 mm3.4 in
October
high ~21 °C70 °F · low ~10 °C50 °F · rain ~81 mm3.2 in
November
high ~13 °C56 °F · low ~4 °C39 °F · rain ~94 mm3.7 in
December
high ~7 °C45 °F · low ~-1 °C30 °F · rain ~66 mm2.6 in

Where these numbers come from

NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals, the St Louis Sci Center station (listed by NOAA as St Louis Sci Ctr, USC00237452), at 38.63, -90.27. These are that station’s own records, unshifted. The further your garden is from it, the less exactly they describe your ground. The planner finds the nearest station to your garden and lowers its confidence with distance, so no number is presented as if it were measured in your garden.

Cold air also pools in low ground on the clear, still nights when frost happens, so a hollow can freeze while a slope a few hundred feet away does not. No table can know that about your garden. A few seasons of your own logged frosts can.

ZIP codes nearest this station

62059, 62060, 62090, 62201, 62203, 62204, 62205, 62206, 62207, 62236, 62239, 62240, 63026, 63042, 63044, 63074, 63088, 63101, 63102, 63103, 63104, 63105, 63106, 63107, 63108, 63109, 63110, 63111, 63112, 63113, 63114, 63115, 63116, 63117, 63118, 63119, 63120, 63121, 63122, 63123, 63124, 63125, 63126, 63127, 63128, 63129, 63130, 63131, 63132, 63133, 63134, 63135, 63136, 63139, 63140, 63141, 63143, 63144, 63147, 63155.

What can I plant here, and when? ›

Nearby stations

The nearest stations and how their last-frost dates compare. Together they show how frost varies across your area.

Other stations in Missouri.

All locations · All plants · Folklore, checked