When to plant in Dodge City, KS
Planting dates worked out from Dodge City's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 5
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
176
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Dodge City · 4.3 km away · station 814 m, town 760 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 2 |
| Peas | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | May 5 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 30 – May 11 | May 29 |
| Beet | — | Mar 23 – May 4 | May 12 |
| Potato | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 8 |
| Kale | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 5 |
| Broccoli | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | May 22 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 19 |
| Winter squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | Jun 21 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 11 – Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 1 |
Dodge City's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1948 | Apr 13 |
| 1949 | Apr 15 |
| 1950 | Apr 30 |
| 1951 | Apr 22 |
| 1952 | Apr 14 |
| 1953 | May 14 |
| 1954 | May 3 |
| 1955 | Apr 4 |
| 1956 | Apr 29 |
| 1957 | Apr 14 |
| 1958 | Apr 7 |
| 1959 | Apr 22 |
| 1960 | Apr 30 |
| 1961 | Apr 17 |
| 1962 | Apr 2 |
| 1963 | Apr 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 8 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 13 |
| 1967 | May 2 |
| 1968 | Apr 8 |
| 1969 | Apr 28 |
| 1970 | Apr 14 |
| 1971 | May 12 |
| 1972 | Apr 4 |
| 1973 | Apr 27 |
| 1974 | Apr 16 |
| 1975 | Apr 12 |
| 1976 | Apr 4 |
| 1977 | Apr 5 |
| 1978 | Apr 25 |
| 1979 | May 11 |
| 1980 | Apr 14 |
| 1981 | May 10 |
| 1982 | Apr 21 |
| 1983 | Apr 16 |
| 1984 | Apr 30 |
| 1985 | Apr 5 |
| 1986 | Apr 16 |
| 1987 | Apr 4 |
| 1988 | Apr 23 |
| 1989 | May 1 |
| 1990 | Apr 30 |
| 1991 | Mar 30 |
| 1992 | Apr 26 |
| 1993 | Apr 21 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 27 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 14 |
| 1998 | Apr 22 |
| 1999 | Apr 17 |
| 2000 | Apr 17 |
| 2001 | Apr 17 |
| 2002 | Apr 5 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | May 14 |
| 2005 | May 2 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | May 11 |
| 2009 | Apr 10 |
| 2010 | May 8 |
| 2011 | Apr 16 |
| 2012 | Mar 10 |
| 2013 | May 5 |
| 2014 | May 2 |
| 2015 | Apr 20 |
| 2016 | Apr 2 |
| 2017 | Apr 30 |
| 2018 | Apr 19 |
| 2019 | Apr 19 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 25 |
| 2023 | Apr 23 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 180 |
| 1949 | 189 |
| 1950 | 186 |
| 1951 | 179 |
| 1952 | 175 |
| 1953 | 175 |
| 1954 | 164 |
| 1955 | 202 |
| 1956 | 187 |
| 1957 | 192 |
| 1958 | 211 |
| 1959 | 187 |
| 1960 | 172 |
| 1961 | 188 |
| 1962 | 209 |
| 1963 | 191 |
| 1964 | 193 |
| 1965 | 199 |
| 1966 | 154 |
| 1967 | 175 |
| 1968 | 198 |
| 1969 | 167 |
| 1970 | 176 |
| 1971 | 168 |
| 1972 | 196 |
| 1973 | 188 |
| 1974 | 181 |
| 1975 | 194 |
| 1976 | 194 |
| 1977 | 188 |
| 1978 | 183 |
| 1979 | 162 |
| 1980 | 185 |
| 1981 | 165 |
| 1982 | 181 |
| 1983 | 206 |
| 1984 | 152 |
| 1985 | 176 |
| 1986 | 178 |
| 1987 | 198 |
| 1988 | 187 |
| 1989 | 169 |
| 1990 | 162 |
| 1991 | 188 |
| 1992 | 172 |
| 1993 | 171 |
| 1994 | 176 |
| 1995 | 146 |
| 1996 | 185 |
| 1997 | 193 |
| 1998 | 201 |
| 1999 | 169 |
| 2000 | 160 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 190 |
| 2003 | 198 |
| 2004 | 171 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 174 |
| 2007 | 193 |
| 2008 | 165 |
| 2009 | 175 |
| 2010 | 172 |
| 2011 | 186 |
| 2012 | 210 |
| 2013 | 165 |
| 2014 | 181 |
| 2015 | 191 |
| 2016 | 187 |
| 2017 | 174 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2019 | 174 |
| 2020 | 188 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 174 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 177 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 21.4 °C |
| 1949 | 20.4 °C |
| 1950 | 19.3 °C |
| 1951 | 19.4 °C |
| 1952 | 21.8 °C |
| 1953 | 21.2 °C |
| 1954 | 22.5 °C |
| 1955 | 21.7 °C |
| 1956 | 22.2 °C |
| 1957 | 20.1 °C |
| 1958 | 20.6 °C |
| 1959 | 21.1 °C |
| 1960 | 21.1 °C |
| 1961 | 19.6 °C |
| 1962 | 21.0 °C |
| 1963 | 22.6 °C |
| 1964 | 21.9 °C |
| 1965 | 20.9 °C |
| 1966 | 20.9 °C |
| 1967 | 19.9 °C |
| 1968 | 20.5 °C |
| 1969 | 21.6 °C |
| 1970 | 21.6 °C |
| 1971 | 20.7 °C |
| 1972 | 20.3 °C |
| 1973 | 20.1 °C |
| 1974 | 21.2 °C |
| 1975 | 20.9 °C |
| 1976 | 21.3 °C |
| 1977 | 23.1 °C |
| 1978 | 21.9 °C |
| 1979 | 20.3 °C |
| 1980 | 22.7 °C |
| 1981 | 22.3 °C |
| 1982 | 21.2 °C |
| 1983 | 21.7 °C |
| 1984 | 21.6 °C |
| 1985 | 21.4 °C |
| 1986 | 21.4 °C |
| 1987 | 20.7 °C |
| 1988 | 21.4 °C |
| 1989 | 20.1 °C |
| 1990 | 21.0 °C |
| 1991 | 22.4 °C |
| 1992 | 19.5 °C |
| 1993 | 19.8 °C |
| 1994 | 21.1 °C |
| 1995 | 19.7 °C |
| 1996 | 20.5 °C |
| 1997 | 19.7 °C |
| 1998 | 22.1 °C |
| 1999 | 20.4 °C |
| 2000 | 21.6 °C |
| 2001 | 21.9 °C |
| 2002 | 21.9 °C |
| 2003 | 20.9 °C |
| 2004 | 20.6 °C |
| 2005 | 21.7 °C |
| 2006 | 21.9 °C |
| 2007 | 21.1 °C |
| 2008 | 20.7 °C |
| 2009 | 20.3 °C |
| 2010 | 21.9 °C |
| 2011 | 22.8 °C |
| 2012 | 22.5 °C |
| 2013 | 21.1 °C |
| 2014 | 21.0 °C |
| 2015 | 21.5 °C |
| 2016 | 21.2 °C |
| 2017 | 21.2 °C |
| 2018 | 21.8 °C |
| 2019 | 21.9 °C |
| 2020 | 21.3 °C |
| 2021 | 21.8 °C |
| 2022 | 22.7 °C |
| 2023 | 21.7 °C |
| 2024 | 22.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1948, Dodge City's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has shrunk by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Dodge City (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.