Lincoln, Nebraska: planting zone & frost dates
Lincoln is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night reaches -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 30 and the first fall frost around Oct 7.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 7 | Sep 29 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 30 | Oct 7 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 24 | Oct 13 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station LINCOLN MUNI AP, NE (USW00014939), 4.7 mi (7.6 km) from the city center and 43 ft lower than the city center (-13 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 30 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Lincoln
Lincoln spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 17 ZIP codes): 6a (99%), 5b (1%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Lincoln
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 7). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 7 – May 21 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | May 14 – May 28 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Apr 2 – May 14 | Jul 29 – Aug 26 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 7 – Jun 11 | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 7 – Jun 4 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 21 | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 14 – May 21 | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 9 – May 14 | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Onion | Feb 5 – Feb 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | May 14 – Jun 4 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | Aug 12 – Sep 9 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 29 – Aug 26 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | — | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Eggplant | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | May 14 – May 28 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | — | Jul 15 – Jul 29 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 26 – May 14 | Aug 26 – Sep 23 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
Nearby cities in Nebraska
- Omaha — zone 6a, last frost Apr 25, first frost Oct 12
More: all Nebraska cities · other zone 6a cities: Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Colorado Springs, CO, Omaha, NE, Aurora, CO, Fort Wayne, IN, Worcester, MA
Lincoln gardening questions
When is the last frost in Lincoln, NE?
Plan around Apr 30. At NOAA's Lincoln Municipal Airport, NE station, 4.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 24, and after May 7 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 15. The last frost is fairly predictable here: only 27 days separate the 90% and 10% dates (median for cities on this site: 36 days).
When should I plant tomatoes in Lincoln, NE?
Start seeds indoors Mar 5 – Mar 19 and set transplants outside May 7 – May 21, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 160 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Lincoln?
About 171 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 151 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 189 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 29 and a 30% chance by Oct 7.
When should I plant a fall garden in Lincoln?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 7): transplant broccoli Jul 15 – Jul 29; sow kale Jul 29 – Aug 26; sow lettuce Jul 29 – Aug 26; sow radishes Aug 26 – Sep 23. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 22. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Lincoln's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Lincoln was zone 5b on the 2012 map and is zone 6a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Lincoln in zone 6a?
No. Zone 6a covers about 99% of the city's land; the rest is in 5b (1%), measured across the city's 17 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.