When to plant in Offutt Air Force Base, NE

Planting dates worked out from Offutt Air Force Base's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 99 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 22about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 41 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

EarlySep 271 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalOct 10about half of years have had frost
LateOct 239 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 167 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Glenwood 3sw · 17.4 km away · station 299 m, town 311 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	Mar 9 – Mar 23	May 4 – May 18	Jun 28
Sweet pepper	Feb 23 – Mar 9	May 4 – May 18	Jul 3
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 18 – Feb 25	Mar 25 – Apr 8	May 4
Peas	—	Mar 25 – Apr 22	May 19
Bush beans	—	Apr 27 – May 18	Jun 16
Carrot	—	Apr 2 – May 14	Jun 1
Beet	—	Apr 2 – May 14	May 22
Potato	—	Apr 2 – Apr 23	Jun 11
Kale	Feb 18 – Mar 4	Apr 1 – Apr 15	May 14
Broccoli	Feb 11 – Feb 25	Mar 25 – Apr 15	May 24
Cucumber	Apr 6 – Apr 13	May 4 – May 18	Jun 23
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 6 – Apr 13	May 4 – May 18	Jun 18
Winter squash	Apr 6 – Apr 13	May 4 – May 18	Jul 23
Sweet corn	—	Apr 27 – May 18	Jun 26
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 25 – Apr 15	Jun 23
Garlic	—	Sep 26 – Oct 24 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 25 – Apr 22	May 2
Basil	Mar 23 – Apr 6	May 4 – May 18	Jun 30

Plan all 65 crops for Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base'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
1894	May 19
1895	May 21
1896	Apr 6
1897	May 14
1898	Apr 26
1899	Apr 16
1900	May 3
1901	Apr 18
1904	Apr 20
1905	Apr 18
1906	May 6
1918	Apr 25
1919	Apr 24
1920	Apr 28
1921	May 4
1922	Apr 19
1923	May 9
1924	Apr 22
1925	May 25
1926	Apr 28
1927	Apr 22
1928	Apr 28
1929	May 2
1930	Apr 23
1931	May 22
1932	Apr 27
1933	Apr 16
1934	Apr 27
1935	May 5
1936	Apr 22
1937	Apr 25
1938	Apr 22
1939	Apr 19
1940	Apr 24
1941	Mar 29
1942	May 4
1943	Apr 20
1944	May 6
1945	May 5
1946	May 12
1947	May 29
1948	Apr 13
1949	Apr 19
1950	May 1
1951	May 7
1952	May 13
1953	Apr 27
1954	May 9
1955	Apr 7
1956	Apr 30
1959	May 15
1960	Apr 18
1961	Apr 28
1962	Apr 15
1963	Apr 23
1964	Apr 9
1965	Apr 28
1966	May 9
1967	May 3
1968	Apr 25
1969	Apr 6
1970	Apr 23
1971	Apr 6
1972	Apr 25
1973	May 15
1974	Apr 17
1975	Apr 20
1976	May 8
1977	Apr 26
1978	May 3
1979	Apr 28
1980	May 9
1981	May 11
1982	Apr 22
1983	May 15
1984	Apr 19
1985	Apr 9
1986	Apr 22
1987	Apr 12
1988	Apr 28
1989	May 7
1990	May 13
1991	Apr 10
1992	Apr 27
1993	Apr 9
1994	May 1
1995	Apr 21
1996	Apr 24
1997	May 14
1998	Apr 18
1999	Apr 18
2000	Apr 22
2001	Apr 25
2002	Apr 23
2003	Apr 9
2004	May 4
2005	May 4
2006	Apr 9
2007	Apr 15
2008	Apr 29

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1894	141
1895	131
1896	174
1897	167
1898	162
1899	162
1900	157
1901	152
1904	185
1905	185
1918	147
1919	168
1920	154
1921	152
1922	172
1923	163
1924	160
1925	134
1926	149
1927	191
1928	149
1929	171
1930	176
1931	147
1932	165
1933	184
1934	183
1935	151
1936	182
1937	153
1938	182
1939	163
1940	173
1941	211
1942	142
1943	152
1945	156
1946	139
1947	152
1948	181
1949	161
1950	154
1951	143
1953	147
1954	173
1955	183
1956	152
1959	146
1960	180
1961	155
1962	192
1963	188
1964	178
1965	148
1966	159
1967	160
1968	182
1969	190
1970	168
1971	207
1972	157
1973	125
1974	164
1975	157
1976	150
1977	165
1978	156
1979	159
1980	146
1981	143
1982	174
1983	128
1984	159
1985	174
1986	173
1987	173
1988	158
1989	139
1990	149
1991	161
1992	166
1993	183
1994	175
1996	181
1997	152
1998	201
1999	168
2000	166
2001	163
2002	166
2003	168
2004	150
2005	147
2006	185
2007	190

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1894	21.9 °C
1895	21.4 °C
1896	19.9 °C
1897	19.4 °C
1898	19.4 °C
1899	19.3 °C
1900	20.4 °C
1901	20.8 °C
1904	17.7 °C
1905	18.9 °C
1906	19.2 °C
1917	18.0 °C
1918	20.0 °C
1919	20.1 °C
1920	18.4 °C
1921	21.1 °C
1922	20.4 °C
1923	19.3 °C
1924	18.1 °C
1925	20.6 °C
1926	19.6 °C
1927	19.0 °C
1928	18.5 °C
1929	19.1 °C
1930	20.4 °C
1931	20.5 °C
1932	20.1 °C
1933	20.9 °C
1934	22.4 °C
1935	19.4 °C
1936	22.5 °C
1937	20.8 °C
1938	21.0 °C
1939	21.6 °C
1940	20.3 °C
1941	21.3 °C
1942	20.1 °C
1943	19.9 °C
1945	18.0 °C
1946	19.1 °C
1947	19.5 °C
1948	20.1 °C
1949	19.3 °C
1950	17.5 °C
1951	17.8 °C
1952	19.5 °C
1953	19.8 °C
1955	21.9 °C
1956	20.5 °C
1959	19.5 °C
1960	19.2 °C
1961	18.4 °C
1962	19.8 °C
1963	20.4 °C
1964	19.9 °C
1965	19.1 °C
1966	18.4 °C
1967	18.4 °C
1968	19.6 °C
1969	19.9 °C
1970	20.7 °C
1971	20.2 °C
1972	19.8 °C
1973	19.6 °C
1974	19.7 °C
1975	19.7 °C
1976	19.9 °C
1977	21.4 °C
1978	19.6 °C
1979	19.1 °C
1980	20.7 °C
1981	20.3 °C
1982	19.0 °C
1983	19.9 °C
1984	19.1 °C
1985	18.9 °C
1986	19.9 °C
1987	20.1 °C
1988	20.6 °C
1989	18.9 °C
1990	19.0 °C
1991	20.3 °C
1992	17.6 °C
1993	18.1 °C
1994	19.1 °C
1996	18.1 °C
1997	18.4 °C
1998	20.4 °C
1999	19.0 °C
2000	20.0 °C
2001	20.2 °C
2002	20.2 °C
2003	19.0 °C
2004	19.1 °C
2005	20.4 °C
2006	19.8 °C
2007	20.2 °C

What this means for you: Since 1894, Offutt Air Force Base'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 Glenwood 3sw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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