Omaha, Nebraska: planting zone & frost dates
Omaha 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 25 and the first fall frost around Oct 12.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 6 | Oct 2 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 25 | Oct 12 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 16 | Oct 18 |
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 OMAHA #1, NE (USW00094918), 6.5 mi (10.4 km) from the city center and 118 ft higher than the city center (+36 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 11 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Omaha
Omaha spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 30 ZIP codes): 6a (91%), 5b (9%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
ZIP codes in Omaha and their zones
| ZIP | Zone | Share of city land |
|---|---|---|
| 68110 | 6a | 6.0% |
| 68137 | 6a | 5.9% |
| 68134 | 6a | 5.6% |
| 68164 | 6a | 5.4% |
| 68144 | 6a | 5.0% |
| 68104 | 6a | 4.7% |
| 68107 | 6a | 4.7% |
| 68022 | 6a | 4.6% |
| 68154 | 6a | 4.5% |
| 68114 | 6a | 4.1% |
| 68124 | 6a | 4.0% |
| 68130 | 6a | 4.0% |
| 68111 | 6a | 3.7% |
| 68106 | 6a | 3.6% |
| 68112 | 5b | 3.6% |
| 68135 | 6a | 3.6% |
| 68117 | 6a | 3.4% |
| 68127 | 6a | 3.4% |
| 68116 | 6a | 2.8% |
| 68152 | 5b | 2.8% |
| 68105 | 6a | 2.5% |
| 68122 | 5b | 2.4% |
| 68108 | 6a | 2.3% |
| 68118 | 6a | 2.3% |
| 68132 | 6a | 1.8% |
| 68131 | 6a | 1.5% |
| 68102 | 6a | 1.3% |
| 68178 | 6a | 0.2% |
| 68182 | 6a | 0.1% |
| 68183 | 6a | 0.0% |
Vegetable planting calendar for Omaha
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 25, first frost Oct 12). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 2 – May 16 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | May 9 – May 23 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Mar 28 – May 9 | Aug 3 – Aug 31 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 2 – Jun 6 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 2 – May 30 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Cucumber | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 9 – May 16 | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 4 – May 9 | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Onion | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 9 – May 23 | May 9 – May 30 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 14 – Apr 11 | Aug 17 – Sep 14 |
| Kale | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Aug 3 – Aug 31 |
| Broccoli | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – May 2 | — | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 14 – Apr 4 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
| Eggplant | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | May 9 – May 23 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | — | Jul 20 – Aug 3 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 21 – May 9 | Aug 31 – Sep 28 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Aug 3 – Aug 17 |
Nearby cities in Nebraska
- Lincoln — zone 6a, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 7
More: all Nebraska cities · other zone 6a cities: Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Milwaukee, WI, Colorado Springs, CO, Aurora, CO, Lincoln, NE, Fort Wayne, IN, Worcester, MA
Omaha gardening questions
When is the last frost in Omaha, NE?
Plan around Apr 25. At NOAA's Omaha #1, NE station, 6.5 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 16, and after May 6 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 5. The 90% and 10% dates are 34 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Omaha, NE?
Start seeds indoors Feb 28 – Mar 14 and set transplants outside May 2 – May 16, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 170 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 Omaha?
About 183 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 159 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 203 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 2 and a 30% chance by Oct 12.
When should I plant a fall garden in Omaha?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 12): transplant broccoli Jul 20 – Aug 3; sow kale Aug 3 – Aug 31; sow lettuce Aug 3 – Aug 31; sow radishes Aug 31 – Sep 28. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 26. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Omaha's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Omaha 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 Omaha in zone 6a?
No. Zone 6a covers about 91% of the city's land; the rest is in 5b (9%), measured across the city's 30 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.