When to plant in Newton, KS

Planting dates worked out from Newton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 299 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 13about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 281 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlyOct 91 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 22about half of years have had frost
LateNov 49 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 190 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Newton · 2.8 km away · station 439 m, town 441 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 3 – Mar 17	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 22
Sweet pepper	Feb 17 – Mar 3	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 27
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 9 – Feb 16	Mar 16 – Mar 30	Apr 25
Peas	—	Mar 10 – Apr 7	May 4
Bush beans	—	Apr 21 – May 12	Jun 10
Carrot	—	Mar 23 – May 4	May 22
Beet	—	Mar 19 – Apr 30	May 8
Potato	—	Mar 23 – Apr 13	Jun 1
Kale	Feb 3 – Feb 17	Mar 17 – Mar 31	Apr 29
Broccoli	Feb 2 – Feb 16	Mar 16 – Apr 6	May 15
Cucumber	Mar 31 – Apr 7	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 17
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 31 – Apr 7	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 12
Winter squash	Mar 31 – Apr 7	Apr 28 – May 12	Jul 17
Sweet corn	—	Apr 21 – May 12	Jun 20
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 16 – Apr 6	Jun 14
Garlic	—	Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 10 – Apr 7	Apr 17
Basil	Mar 17 – Mar 31	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 24

Plan all 65 crops for Newton

Newton'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
1898	Apr 6
1899	Apr 9
1900	Apr 13
1901	Apr 18
1904	May 15
1905	Apr 21
1908	Apr 30
1909	May 1
1911	May 2
1912	Apr 17
1913	Apr 13
1914	Apr 9
1915	Apr 3
1916	Apr 26
1917	May 1
1918	Apr 20
1919	Apr 16
1920	Apr 27
1921	May 4
1922	Apr 18
1923	May 9
1924	May 11
1925	May 1
1926	Apr 28
1927	May 11
1928	Apr 16
1929	Apr 26
1930	Apr 3
1931	May 20
1932	Apr 12
1933	Apr 16
1934	Apr 21
1935	Apr 15
1936	Apr 22
1937	Apr 27
1938	May 8
1939	Apr 21
1940	Apr 13
1941	Apr 21
1942	Apr 10
1943	Apr 20
1944	May 6
1945	May 17
1946	May 12
1947	Apr 16
1948	Apr 2
1949	Apr 3
1950	Apr 20
1951	Apr 16
1952	Apr 11
1953	Apr 20
1954	May 4
1955	Mar 29
1956	Apr 24
1957	Apr 13
1958	Apr 7
1959	Apr 22
1960	May 1
1961	May 2
1962	Apr 13
1963	Apr 12
1964	Apr 9
1965	Apr 28
1966	May 13
1967	May 2
1968	Apr 15
1969	Apr 20
1970	Apr 14
1971	Apr 14
1972	Apr 9
1973	Apr 11
1974	Apr 15
1975	Apr 12
1976	May 3
1977	Apr 5
1978	Apr 20
1979	Apr 9
1980	Apr 15
1981	Mar 23
1982	Apr 22
1983	Apr 15
1984	Apr 30
1985	Apr 8
1986	Apr 22
1987	Apr 5
1988	Mar 20
1989	May 6
1990	Apr 11
1991	Mar 30
1992	Apr 3
1993	Apr 2
1994	Apr 29
1995	Apr 27
1996	Apr 23
1997	Apr 14
1998	Mar 22
1999	Mar 26
2000	Apr 17
2001	Apr 17
2003	Apr 9
2004	Apr 12
2005	May 3
2007	Apr 16
2008	Apr 15
2009	Apr 15
2010	Apr 9
2011	Apr 5
2012	Mar 11
2013	Apr 26
2014	May 3
2015	Apr 11
2016	Apr 3
2017	Apr 28
2018	Apr 19
2019	Apr 13
2020	Apr 18
2021	Apr 22
2022	Apr 15
2023	Apr 24

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1898	195
1899	205
1900	201
1901	178
1904	160
1905	172
1909	163
1911	172
1912	161
1913	189
1914	200
1915	188
1916	155
1918	189
1919	177
1920	182
1921	160
1922	173
1923	164
1924	140
1925	161
1926	178
1927	149
1928	190
1929	179
1930	197
1931	161
1932	175
1933	174
1934	189
1935	190
1936	182
1937	177
1938	164
1939	161
1940	184
1941	189
1942	169
1943	177
1944	158
1945	157
1946	152
1947	202
1948	191
1949	201
1950	196
1951	194
1952	177
1953	189
1954	164
1955	208
1956	192
1957	194
1958	176
1959	185
1960	171
1961	176
1962	194
1963	202
1964	182
1965	176
1966	158
1967	177
1968	185
1969	176
1970	178
1971	202
1972	192
1973	200
1974	182
1976	157
1977	189
1978	188
1979	207
1980	192
1981	213
1982	180
1983	208
1984	152
1985	175
1986	197
1987	198
1988	221
1989	164
1990	181
1991	202
1992	214
1993	190
1994	178
1995	147
1996	177
1997	194
1998	233
1999	205
2000	172
2001	180
2003	199
2004	205
2005	173
2007	190
2008	194
2009	178
2010	208
2011	197
2012	209
2013	175
2014	181
2015	200
2016	222
2018	178
2019	180
2020	190
2021	204
2022	185
2023	186

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1897	22.0 °C
1898	21.2 °C
1899	21.9 °C
1900	22.3 °C
1901	22.5 °C
1904	20.2 °C
1908	21.1 °C
1909	22.1 °C
1911	22.8 °C
1912	21.6 °C
1913	23.0 °C
1914	22.4 °C
1915	20.1 °C
1916	21.1 °C
1918	21.7 °C
1919	21.6 °C
1920	20.9 °C
1921	22.4 °C
1922	21.7 °C
1923	21.5 °C
1924	20.4 °C
1925	22.6 °C
1926	20.9 °C
1927	20.6 °C
1928	20.5 °C
1929	21.0 °C
1930	22.6 °C
1931	21.9 °C
1932	22.1 °C
1933	22.8 °C
1934	23.5 °C
1935	20.8 °C
1936	23.7 °C
1937	22.2 °C
1938	21.8 °C
1939	22.3 °C
1940	21.1 °C
1941	22.0 °C
1942	20.9 °C
1943	21.9 °C
1944	21.3 °C
1945	20.4 °C
1946	22.2 °C
1947	21.9 °C
1948	22.6 °C
1949	20.6 °C
1950	20.1 °C
1951	20.1 °C
1952	23.1 °C
1953	22.5 °C
1954	24.3 °C
1955	23.1 °C
1956	23.5 °C
1957	20.9 °C
1958	21.2 °C
1959	21.2 °C
1960	21.7 °C
1961	20.0 °C
1962	22.4 °C
1963	23.1 °C
1964	22.4 °C
1965	21.9 °C
1966	21.7 °C
1967	20.6 °C
1968	21.1 °C
1969	21.8 °C
1970	22.4 °C
1971	21.6 °C
1972	22.0 °C
1973	21.8 °C
1974	21.3 °C
1975	20.8 °C
1976	21.5 °C
1977	22.8 °C
1978	23.3 °C
1979	22.0 °C
1980	24.1 °C
1983	21.9 °C
1985	22.1 °C
1986	23.0 °C
1987	22.4 °C
1988	22.6 °C
1989	20.8 °C
1990	21.9 °C
1991	22.5 °C
1992	20.3 °C
1993	20.7 °C
1994	21.7 °C
1995	20.7 °C
1996	21.5 °C
1997	20.6 °C
1998	23.1 °C
1999	21.5 °C
2000	23.2 °C
2001	23.0 °C
2003	21.5 °C
2004	20.8 °C
2005	21.8 °C
2007	21.5 °C
2008	20.4 °C
2009	20.1 °C
2010	22.6 °C
2011	23.1 °C
2012	23.2 °C
2013	20.5 °C
2014	21.0 °C
2015	21.8 °C
2016	21.9 °C
2017	21.2 °C
2018	21.9 °C
2019	22.3 °C
2020	21.8 °C
2021	22.4 °C
2022	23.0 °C
2023	22.4 °C

What this means for you: Since 1898, Newton's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Newton (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

North Newton Hesston Halstead Sedgwick Moundridge Valley Center