When to plant in Lake Ozark, MO

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 219 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 4about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 161 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 161 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalNov 2about half of years have had frost
LateNov 209 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 210 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Lakeside · 1.5 km away · station 180 m, town 229 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 19 – Mar 5	Apr 16 – Apr 30	Jun 10
Sweet pepper	Feb 5 – Feb 19	Apr 16 – Apr 30	Jun 15
Lettuce (leaf)	Jan 31 – Feb 7	Mar 7 – Mar 21	Apr 16
Peas	—	Mar 5 – Apr 2	Apr 29
Bush beans	—	Apr 9 – Apr 30	May 29
Carrot	—	Mar 17 – Apr 28	May 16
Beet	—	Mar 17 – Apr 28	May 6
Potato	—	Mar 17 – Apr 7	May 26
Kale	Jan 29 – Feb 12	Mar 12 – Mar 26	Apr 24
Broccoli	Jan 24 – Feb 7	Mar 7 – Mar 28	May 6
Cucumber	Mar 19 – Mar 26	Apr 16 – Apr 30	Jun 5
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 19 – Mar 26	Apr 16 – Apr 30	May 31
Winter squash	Mar 19 – Mar 26	Apr 16 – Apr 30	Jul 5
Sweet corn	—	Apr 9 – Apr 30	Jun 8
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 7 – Mar 28	Jun 5
Garlic	—	Oct 19 – Nov 16 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 5 – Apr 2	Apr 12
Basil	Mar 5 – Mar 19	Apr 16 – Apr 30	Jun 12

Plan all 65 crops for Lake Ozark

Lake Ozark'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
1932	Apr 13
1933	Apr 7
1934	Apr 25
1935	Apr 16
1936	Apr 22
1937	Apr 11
1938	Apr 10
1939	Apr 12
1940	Apr 13
1941	Mar 29
1942	Apr 2
1944	Apr 7
1945	Apr 6
1946	Apr 12
1947	Mar 30
1948	Apr 2
1949	Apr 19
1950	Apr 15
1951	Apr 23
1952	Apr 16
1953	Apr 27
1954	May 4
1955	Apr 8
1956	Apr 25
1957	Apr 15
1958	Apr 12
1959	Apr 23
1960	May 1
1961	May 2
1962	Apr 17
1963	Apr 24
1964	Apr 10
1965	Apr 1
1966	Apr 14
1967	May 3
1968	Apr 15
1969	Mar 31
1970	Apr 8
1971	Apr 14
1972	Apr 10
1973	Apr 14
1974	Apr 10
1975	Apr 13
1976	May 5
1977	Mar 25
1978	May 3
1979	Apr 7
1980	Apr 15
1981	Apr 6
1982	Apr 22
1983	Apr 20
1984	Apr 2
1985	Apr 10
1986	Apr 22
1987	Apr 6
1988	Apr 25
1989	Apr 13
1990	Apr 13
1991	Mar 31
1992	Apr 3
1993	Mar 18
1994	Apr 7
1995	Apr 5
1996	Apr 10
1997	Apr 17
1998	Mar 22
1999	Mar 27
2000	Mar 21
2001	Mar 27
2002	Apr 6
2003	Apr 11
2004	Apr 3
2005	Mar 28
2006	Apr 9
2007	Apr 9
2008	Apr 29
2009	Apr 15
2011	Mar 28
2013	Apr 4
2014	Apr 15
2015	Apr 4
2016	Mar 21
2017	Mar 15
2018	Apr 9
2019	Apr 2
2020	Apr 18
2021	Apr 22
2022	Apr 9
2023	Mar 29
2024	Mar 28
2025	Apr 9
2026	Mar 17

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1932	175
1933	214
1934	185
1935	190
1936	184
1937	185
1938	196
1939	201
1940	185
1941	212
1942	206
1944	230
1945	210
1946	213
1947	220
1948	198
1949	190
1950	202
1951	191
1952	169
1953	184
1954	178
1955	205
1956	185
1957	186
1958	171
1959	187
1960	171
1961	176
1962	189
1963	187
1964	181
1965	205
1966	184
1967	177
1968	192
1969	210
1970	191
1971	206
1972	191
1973	204
1974	217
1975	195
1976	164
1977	230
1978	177
1979	185
1980	179
1981	199
1982	181
1983	198
1984	213
1985	207
1986	201
1987	204
1989	203
1990	188
1991	202
1992	196
1993	225
1994	201
1995	211
1996	205
1997	193
1998	228
1999	210
2000	201
2001	203
2002	190
2003	208
2004	223
2005	232
2006	186
2008	181
2009	231
2011	246
2013	221
2014	199
2015	229
2016	243
2017	227
2018	213
2019	212
2020	197
2021	210
2022	191
2023	214
2024	239
2025	213

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1932	22.0 °C
1933	22.5 °C
1934	22.9 °C
1935	21.2 °C
1936	23.4 °C
1937	21.9 °C
1938	22.5 °C
1939	22.2 °C
1940	20.8 °C
1941	22.8 °C
1942	21.5 °C
1944	20.9 °C
1945	19.9 °C
1946	20.9 °C
1947	21.3 °C
1948	21.4 °C
1949	20.7 °C
1950	19.3 °C
1951	19.7 °C
1952	21.0 °C
1953	21.2 °C
1954	22.1 °C
1955	21.5 °C
1956	21.2 °C
1957	20.8 °C
1958	20.4 °C
1959	21.6 °C
1960	21.1 °C
1961	19.6 °C
1962	20.8 °C
1963	21.2 °C
1964	21.5 °C
1965	21.1 °C
1966	19.5 °C
1967	19.4 °C
1968	20.3 °C
1969	20.7 °C
1970	21.5 °C
1971	20.5 °C
1972	21.1 °C
1973	20.6 °C
1974	19.8 °C
1975	20.6 °C
1976	19.7 °C
1977	21.9 °C
1978	21.1 °C
1980	21.1 °C
1981	21.3 °C
1982	20.2 °C
1983	20.2 °C
1984	20.1 °C
1985	20.8 °C
1986	21.6 °C
1987	21.5 °C
1989	20.0 °C
1990	20.5 °C
1991	21.6 °C
1992	19.5 °C
1993	20.7 °C
1994	20.4 °C
1995	21.1 °C
1996	20.4 °C
1997	20.2 °C
1998	22.2 °C
1999	21.8 °C
2000	22.1 °C
2001	22.6 °C
2002	21.1 °C
2003	20.7 °C
2004	20.4 °C
2005	21.9 °C
2006	21.7 °C
2008	20.3 °C
2009	19.8 °C
2011	22.4 °C
2013	21.1 °C
2014	21.0 °C
2015	22.2 °C
2016	22.5 °C
2017	22.1 °C
2018	22.1 °C
2019	22.4 °C
2020	21.5 °C
2021	22.1 °C
2022	22.5 °C
2023	21.9 °C
2024	22.4 °C
2025	22.2 °C

What this means for you: Since 1932, Lake Ozark's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

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

Nearby towns

Four Seasons Osage Beach Eldon Camdenton Versailles Riverview