When to plant in Stockton, KS
Planting dates worked out from Stockton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 13
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 29
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 6
1 year in 10 by Sep 21
Frost-free days
162
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Webster Dam · 13.8 km away · station 568 m, town 549 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 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 11 |
| Peas | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | May 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jun 25 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | May 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 6 – May 27 | Jul 5 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 30 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 22 – Oct 20 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 25 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Stockton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1954 | May 3 |
| 1955 | Apr 7 |
| 1956 | Apr 28 |
| 1957 | Apr 9 |
| 1958 | Apr 24 |
| 1959 | Apr 14 |
| 1960 | Apr 10 |
| 1961 | May 2 |
| 1962 | Apr 14 |
| 1963 | Apr 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 14 |
| 1965 | Mar 31 |
| 1966 | May 13 |
| 1967 | May 4 |
| 1968 | Apr 25 |
| 1969 | Apr 19 |
| 1971 | Apr 8 |
| 1972 | Apr 9 |
| 1973 | Apr 16 |
| 1974 | Apr 17 |
| 1975 | May 8 |
| 1976 | May 4 |
| 1977 | Apr 6 |
| 1978 | Apr 22 |
| 1979 | Apr 7 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | May 16 |
| 1984 | May 9 |
| 1985 | Apr 9 |
| 1986 | Apr 23 |
| 1987 | Apr 12 |
| 1988 | Apr 28 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 12 |
| 1991 | May 8 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 20 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | Apr 29 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | May 14 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 16 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | May 4 |
| 2009 | Apr 29 |
| 2010 | Apr 17 |
| 2011 | Apr 27 |
| 2012 | May 15 |
| 2013 | May 4 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | May 12 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | May 1 |
| 2018 | Apr 27 |
| 2019 | May 11 |
| 2020 | Apr 18 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 13 |
| 2025 | Apr 19 |
| 2026 | Apr 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 165 |
| 1955 | 199 |
| 1956 | 175 |
| 1957 | 198 |
| 1958 | 159 |
| 1959 | 179 |
| 1960 | 191 |
| 1961 | 184 |
| 1962 | 193 |
| 1963 | 191 |
| 1964 | 173 |
| 1965 | 195 |
| 1966 | 144 |
| 1967 | 146 |
| 1968 | 161 |
| 1969 | 177 |
| 1971 | 198 |
| 1972 | 191 |
| 1973 | 178 |
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 139 |
| 1976 | 146 |
| 1977 | 179 |
| 1978 | 166 |
| 1979 | 199 |
| 1981 | 163 |
| 1982 | 151 |
| 1983 | 127 |
| 1984 | 139 |
| 1985 | 169 |
| 1986 | 171 |
| 1987 | 173 |
| 1988 | 180 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 180 |
| 1991 | 138 |
| 1992 | 163 |
| 1993 | 147 |
| 1994 | 173 |
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 185 |
| 2006 | 169 |
| 2007 | 192 |
| 2008 | 164 |
| 2009 | 152 |
| 2010 | 168 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2012 | 141 |
| 2013 | 161 |
| 2014 | 146 |
| 2015 | 156 |
| 2016 | 182 |
| 2017 | 162 |
| 2018 | 166 |
| 2019 | 152 |
| 2020 | 165 |
| 2021 | 181 |
| 2022 | 172 |
| 2023 | 164 |
| 2024 | 182 |
| 2025 | 185 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 21.7 °C |
| 1955 | 22.1 °C |
| 1957 | 19.8 °C |
| 1958 | 20.2 °C |
| 1959 | 20.8 °C |
| 1960 | 20.8 °C |
| 1961 | 19.1 °C |
| 1962 | 20.4 °C |
| 1963 | 22.3 °C |
| 1964 | 21.2 °C |
| 1965 | 20.1 °C |
| 1966 | 20.4 °C |
| 1967 | 18.6 °C |
| 1968 | 19.9 °C |
| 1969 | 20.2 °C |
| 1970 | 21.0 °C |
| 1971 | 19.8 °C |
| 1972 | 19.4 °C |
| 1973 | 19.4 °C |
| 1974 | 19.6 °C |
| 1975 | 19.2 °C |
| 1976 | 20.2 °C |
| 1977 | 21.0 °C |
| 1978 | 20.5 °C |
| 1979 | 22.1 °C |
| 1981 | 20.9 °C |
| 1982 | 19.4 °C |
| 1983 | 20.3 °C |
| 1984 | 19.9 °C |
| 1985 | 19.0 °C |
| 1986 | 20.7 °C |
| 1987 | 20.2 °C |
| 1988 | 21.2 °C |
| 1989 | 19.7 °C |
| 1990 | 20.4 °C |
| 1991 | 21.0 °C |
| 1992 | 18.6 °C |
| 1993 | 18.3 °C |
| 1994 | 20.4 °C |
| 1995 | 18.9 °C |
| 1996 | 19.4 °C |
| 2004 | 20.1 °C |
| 2005 | 21.1 °C |
| 2006 | 21.2 °C |
| 2007 | 21.2 °C |
| 2008 | 19.3 °C |
| 2009 | 19.4 °C |
| 2010 | 21.8 °C |
| 2011 | 21.2 °C |
| 2012 | 21.9 °C |
| 2013 | 20.7 °C |
| 2014 | 20.8 °C |
| 2015 | 21.4 °C |
| 2016 | 21.2 °C |
| 2017 | 21.0 °C |
| 2018 | 20.6 °C |
| 2019 | 20.8 °C |
| 2020 | 19.9 °C |
| 2021 | 21.0 °C |
| 2022 | 21.1 °C |
| 2023 | 21.1 °C |
| 2024 | 21.3 °C |
| 2025 | 21.0 °C |
| 2026 | 22.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1954, Stockton's last spring frost has come about 1 day later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk 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 Webster Dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.