When to plant in Wathena, KS
Planting dates worked out from Wathena's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 3
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Sep 30
Frost-free days
182
median, 1991–2020
Station used: St Joseph Rosecrans Mem Ap · 3.6 km away · station 246 m, town 251 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 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 29 |
| Peas | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | May 9 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 27 – May 8 | May 26 |
| Beet | — | Mar 23 – May 4 | May 12 |
| Potato | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 5 |
| Kale | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 4 |
| Broccoli | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | May 19 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | Jun 18 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | Apr 22 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Wathena'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 2 |
| 1949 | Apr 16 |
| 1950 | Apr 26 |
| 1951 | Apr 17 |
| 1952 | Apr 15 |
| 1953 | Apr 20 |
| 1954 | May 4 |
| 1963 | May 1 |
| 1964 | Apr 9 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 2 |
| 1967 | Apr 27 |
| 1968 | May 21 |
| 1969 | Apr 6 |
| 1970 | Apr 9 |
| 1971 | Apr 7 |
| 1972 | Apr 8 |
| 1973 | Apr 13 |
| 1974 | Apr 17 |
| 1975 | Apr 20 |
| 1976 | May 3 |
| 1977 | Apr 6 |
| 1978 | Mar 27 |
| 1979 | Apr 6 |
| 1980 | Apr 13 |
| 1981 | Apr 6 |
| 1997 | Apr 17 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 5 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Apr 9 |
| 2011 | May 2 |
| 2012 | Mar 9 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 26 |
| 2019 | Apr 13 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | May 3 |
| 2024 | Apr 5 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 197 |
| 1949 | 192 |
| 1950 | 190 |
| 1951 | 196 |
| 1952 | 173 |
| 1953 | 189 |
| 1963 | 180 |
| 1964 | 178 |
| 1965 | 166 |
| 1966 | 160 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1968 | 135 |
| 1969 | 190 |
| 1970 | 189 |
| 1971 | 184 |
| 1972 | 174 |
| 1973 | 198 |
| 1974 | 157 |
| 1975 | 156 |
| 1976 | 157 |
| 1977 | 189 |
| 1978 | 214 |
| 1979 | 186 |
| 1980 | 181 |
| 1997 | 191 |
| 1998 | 200 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 190 |
| 2003 | 171 |
| 2004 | 151 |
| 2005 | 157 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2007 | 190 |
| 2008 | 184 |
| 2009 | 177 |
| 2010 | 192 |
| 2012 | 197 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 193 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 182 |
| 2017 | 187 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 182 |
| 2020 | 167 |
| 2021 | 190 |
| 2022 | 163 |
| 2023 | 177 |
| 2024 | 191 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 21.6 °C |
| 1949 | 20.7 °C |
| 1950 | 19.1 °C |
| 1951 | 19.4 °C |
| 1952 | 21.4 °C |
| 1953 | 20.9 °C |
| 1963 | 21.7 °C |
| 1964 | 20.5 °C |
| 1965 | 21.3 °C |
| 1966 | 20.3 °C |
| 1967 | 19.4 °C |
| 1968 | 20.3 °C |
| 1969 | 21.9 °C |
| 1970 | 22.5 °C |
| 1971 | 20.7 °C |
| 1972 | 20.7 °C |
| 1973 | 20.4 °C |
| 1974 | 19.8 °C |
| 1975 | 20.5 °C |
| 1976 | 20.2 °C |
| 1977 | 21.7 °C |
| 1978 | 21.2 °C |
| 1979 | 19.3 °C |
| 1980 | 21.4 °C |
| 1981 | 20.2 °C |
| 1997 | 19.2 °C |
| 1998 | 21.5 °C |
| 1999 | 20.1 °C |
| 2000 | 21.1 °C |
| 2001 | 21.0 °C |
| 2002 | 21.6 °C |
| 2003 | 20.6 °C |
| 2004 | 19.7 °C |
| 2005 | 21.0 °C |
| 2006 | 21.1 °C |
| 2007 | 21.0 °C |
| 2008 | 19.4 °C |
| 2009 | 19.4 °C |
| 2010 | 21.4 °C |
| 2012 | 21.6 °C |
| 2013 | 19.9 °C |
| 2014 | 20.0 °C |
| 2015 | 20.8 °C |
| 2016 | 21.4 °C |
| 2017 | 20.7 °C |
| 2018 | 21.2 °C |
| 2019 | 21.3 °C |
| 2020 | 20.2 °C |
| 2021 | 20.6 °C |
| 2022 | 19.6 °C |
| 2023 | 21.1 °C |
| 2024 | 21.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1948, Wathena's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from St Joseph Rosecrans Mem Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.