When to plant in Norton, KS
Planting dates worked out from Norton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 3
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 11
1 year in 10 by Sep 30
Frost-free days
162
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Norton Dam · 4.7 km away · station 715 m, town 705 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 15 |
| Peas | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | May 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 11 |
| Beet | — | Apr 5 – May 17 | May 25 |
| Potato | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 21 |
| Kale | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 18 |
| Broccoli | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 4 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jul 4 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 27 – Oct 25 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | Apr 29 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
Norton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 13 |
| 1967 | May 5 |
| 1968 | May 8 |
| 1969 | Apr 18 |
| 1970 | May 2 |
| 1971 | Apr 28 |
| 1972 | Apr 24 |
| 1973 | May 15 |
| 1974 | Apr 17 |
| 1975 | May 1 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | Apr 6 |
| 1978 | Apr 25 |
| 1979 | May 12 |
| 1980 | May 8 |
| 1981 | May 10 |
| 1983 | May 16 |
| 1984 | May 2 |
| 1985 | Apr 14 |
| 1990 | May 11 |
| 1991 | May 6 |
| 1992 | May 26 |
| 1993 | Apr 21 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | Apr 28 |
| 1996 | Apr 23 |
| 1997 | May 10 |
| 1998 | Jun 7 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 22 |
| 2001 | Apr 23 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | May 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 27 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 11 |
| 2009 | Apr 29 |
| 2010 | May 8 |
| 2011 | May 16 |
| 2012 | Apr 11 |
| 2013 | May 6 |
| 2014 | May 3 |
| 2015 | May 12 |
| 2016 | Apr 10 |
| 2017 | May 2 |
| 2018 | Apr 28 |
| 2019 | May 10 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | May 3 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 20 |
| 2026 | May 3 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 175 |
| 1966 | 154 |
| 1967 | 157 |
| 1968 | 162 |
| 1969 | 176 |
| 1970 | 146 |
| 1971 | 143 |
| 1972 | 165 |
| 1973 | 149 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 152 |
| 1976 | 143 |
| 1977 | 187 |
| 1978 | 163 |
| 1979 | 150 |
| 1980 | 147 |
| 1981 | 129 |
| 1990 | 134 |
| 1991 | 151 |
| 1992 | 135 |
| 1993 | 170 |
| 1994 | 176 |
| 1995 | 145 |
| 1996 | 177 |
| 1997 | 167 |
| 1998 | 132 |
| 1999 | 166 |
| 2000 | 155 |
| 2001 | 165 |
| 2002 | 140 |
| 2003 | 162 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 156 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 189 |
| 2008 | 157 |
| 2009 | 156 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 137 |
| 2012 | 176 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 153 |
| 2015 | 169 |
| 2016 | 179 |
| 2017 | 172 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 153 |
| 2020 | 143 |
| 2021 | 175 |
| 2022 | 172 |
| 2023 | 155 |
| 2024 | 174 |
| 2025 | 181 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 18.7 °C |
| 1966 | 18.9 °C |
| 1967 | 17.3 °C |
| 1968 | 18.4 °C |
| 1969 | 19.1 °C |
| 1970 | 19.3 °C |
| 1971 | 18.6 °C |
| 1972 | 18.3 °C |
| 1973 | 18.2 °C |
| 1974 | 18.8 °C |
| 1975 | 18.6 °C |
| 1976 | 19.3 °C |
| 1977 | 20.2 °C |
| 1978 | 19.8 °C |
| 1979 | 18.5 °C |
| 1980 | 20.2 °C |
| 1981 | 19.3 °C |
| 1990 | 19.7 °C |
| 1991 | 20.2 °C |
| 1992 | 17.9 °C |
| 1993 | 17.6 °C |
| 1994 | 19.6 °C |
| 1995 | 18.3 °C |
| 1996 | 18.4 °C |
| 1997 | 18.9 °C |
| 1998 | 20.2 °C |
| 1999 | 18.8 °C |
| 2000 | 20.7 °C |
| 2001 | 20.4 °C |
| 2002 | 20.9 °C |
| 2003 | 20.0 °C |
| 2004 | 19.8 °C |
| 2005 | 20.5 °C |
| 2006 | 20.5 °C |
| 2007 | 20.5 °C |
| 2008 | 18.7 °C |
| 2009 | 18.4 °C |
| 2010 | 20.4 °C |
| 2011 | 19.6 °C |
| 2012 | 21.6 °C |
| 2013 | 19.8 °C |
| 2014 | 19.4 °C |
| 2015 | 20.3 °C |
| 2016 | 20.0 °C |
| 2017 | 19.9 °C |
| 2018 | 19.6 °C |
| 2019 | 19.7 °C |
| 2020 | 19.6 °C |
| 2021 | 20.3 °C |
| 2022 | 20.6 °C |
| 2023 | 20.0 °C |
| 2024 | 20.4 °C |
| 2025 | 20.1 °C |
| 2026 | 21.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1965, Norton's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. 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 Norton Dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.