USDA zone 6a in Kansas
USDA plant hardiness zone 6a covers 60 locations across Kansas (average annual extreme minimum −10 to −5 °F): Atchison, KS, Atwood, KS, Bendena, KS, Bird, KS, Burr Oak, KS, Cawker, KS, and 54 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 11 (Atchison) to May 9 (Edson), and growing seasons run 145–199 days (Edson to Atchison) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Kansas location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Schoenchen, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 6a−10 to −5 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 11–May 9avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 4–Oct 29avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 145–199days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison | Nortonville, Rushville | Atchison | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | 199 |
| Atwood | Ludell, Herndon | Atwood | May 2 | Oct 8 | 157 |
| Bendena | Troy, Highland, Denton | Troy 3n | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 182 |
| Bird | McDonald | Mc Donald | May 4 | Oct 12 | 160 |
| Burr Oak | — | Burr Oak 1n | Apr 30 | Oct 8 | 159 |
| Cawker | Glen Elder, Jewell, Randall | Beloit | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Colby | Levant, Gem | Colby 1sw | May 2 | Oct 9 | 156 |
| Courtland | Formoso, Webber | Lovewell Dam | Apr 20 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Dresden | Hoxie, Selden, Jennings, Rexford | Hoxie | Apr 20 | Oct 20 | 180 |
| Edson | Brewster | Brewster 4w | May 9 | Oct 4 | 145 |
| Goodland | — | Goodland | May 2 | Oct 11 | 158 |
| Greeley County | — | Tribune 1w | May 2 | Oct 11 | 160 |
| Healy | Dighton | Healy | Apr 28 | Oct 15 | 169 |
| Hiawatha | — | Hiawatha 1 S | Apr 14 | Oct 22 | 188 |
| Hill | Morland, Bogue | Hill City Muni Ap | Apr 27 | Oct 14 | 169 |
| Holcomb | — | Garden City Exp Stn | Apr 28 | Oct 17 | 171 |
| Holton | Circleville, Mayetta, Soldier, Denison | Holton | Apr 24 | Oct 14 | 172 |
| Horton | Whiting, Netawaka, Effingham, Wetmore, Fairview, Muscotah, +4 more | Horton | Apr 18 | Oct 17 | 180 |
| Hunter | — | Lincoln 1 Se | Apr 28 | Oct 15 | 170 |
| Jamestown | — | Concordia Muni Ap | Apr 18 | Oct 19 | 183 |
| Kirwin | — | Kirwin Dam | Apr 30 | Oct 7 | 159 |
| La Crosse | McCracken, Bison, Liebenthal | Bison 3nw | Apr 30 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Lakin | Deerfield | Lakin | Apr 18 | Oct 23 | 187 |
| Logan | Almena, Edmond, Prairie View | Norton 9sse | Apr 27 | Oct 17 | 173 |
| Luray | — | Wilson Lake | Apr 21 | Oct 17 | 179 |
| Manhattan | — | Manhattan | Apr 16 | Oct 19 | 185 |
| Mankato | — | Mankato | Apr 30 | Oct 14 | 165 |
| Marienthal | Leoti | Leoti | May 2 | Oct 12 | 161 |
| Marysville | Home, Blue Rapids, Bremen, Frankfort, Waterville, Barneston, +2 more | Marysville | Apr 25 | Oct 13 | 171 |
| Morland | — | Hill City 1e | Apr 29 | Oct 13 | 166 |
| Ness | Utica | Ness City | Apr 29 | Oct 14 | 166 |
| Norton | Norcatur, Clayton | Norton Dam | May 1 | Oct 12 | 162 |
| Norway | Belleville, Scandia, Cuba, Republic, Munden, Agenda, +1 more | Belleville | Apr 22 | Oct 17 | 175 |
| Oakley | Grinnell | Oakley 4w | May 6 | Oct 9 | 156 |
| Oberlin | — | Oberlin | Apr 30 | Oct 11 | 163 |
| Olsburg | — | Tuttle Creek Lake | Apr 22 | Oct 20 | 179 |
| Onaga | Centralia, Corning, Goff, Havensville | Centralia | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 182 |
| Osborne | Alton | Alton 1 W | Apr 29 | Oct 12 | 164 |
| Phillipsburg | Long Island | Phillipsburg #2 | Apr 26 | Oct 16 | 172 |
| Plainville | Natoma, Palco | Plainville 4wnw | Apr 23 | Oct 20 | 178 |
| Quinter | Grainfield, Park, Gove, Collyer | Quinter | Apr 24 | Oct 18 | 176 |
| Ramona | Lost Springs, Latimer | Herington | Apr 24 | Oct 14 | 173 |
| Randolph | — | Clay Ctr | Apr 19 | Oct 19 | 181 |
| Ransom | Brownell | Cedar Bluff Dam | Apr 25 | Oct 17 | 174 |
| Russell Springs | Monument | Russell Springs 3n | Apr 30 | Oct 14 | 164 |
| Schoenchen * | — | Hays 1 S | Apr 25 | Oct 15 | 171 |
| Scott | — | Scott City | Apr 30 | Oct 15 | 167 |
| Seneca | Baileyville, Oneida | Baileyville | Apr 22 | Oct 13 | 173 |
| Smith Center | Downs, Kensington, Lebanon, Esbon, Portis, Gaylord, +3 more | Smith Ctr | Apr 24 | Oct 15 | 173 |
| St. Francis | — | Saint Francis | Apr 30 | Oct 10 | 160 |
| St. George | Westmoreland, Emmett | Wamego 4 W | Apr 18 | Oct 19 | 183 |
| Stockton | Glade, Woodston, Damar | Webster Dam | Apr 30 | Oct 12 | 165 |
| Syracuse | — | Syracuse 1ne | May 1 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Tipton | — | Glen Elder Lake | Apr 29 | Oct 15 | 168 |
| Vermillion | — | Frankfort 6ne | Apr 20 | Oct 18 | 180 |
| WaKeeney | — | Wakeeney | Apr 23 | Oct 18 | 175 |
| Waldo | Paradise | Russell Muni Ap | Apr 22 | Oct 17 | 176 |
| Wallace | — | Wallace | Apr 30 | Oct 10 | 162 |
| Washington | Hanover, Greenleaf, Haddam, Linn, Palmer, Barnes, +2 more | Washington | Apr 24 | Oct 14 | 171 |
| Weskan | Sharon Springs | Sharon Springs | Apr 28 | Oct 15 | 168 |
* Schoenchen is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Schoenchen, representative)
Computed from Schoenchen's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Kansaszone 6a group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 2 – May 9 | Jul 1 – Jul 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | May 9 – May 16 | Jul 8 – Aug 7 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 21 – Jul 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 16 – Jul 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 21 – Jul 1 | Aug 16 – Aug 26 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 24 – Jul 24 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 1 – Jun 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 12 – May 27 | Aug 2 – Aug 17 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 8 – May 23 | Jul 23 – Aug 7 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 23 – May 3 | Aug 12 – Aug 22 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | Jun 3 – Jun 23 | Jul 13 – Aug 2 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 22 – Jun 11 | Jul 18 – Aug 7 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Schoenchen's own 171-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Schoenchen)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00143527. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 16 | Oct 5 | Oct 17 | 153 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 25 | May 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 26 | 171 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 29 | Oct 24 | Nov 6 | 191 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 19 | Nov 1 | Nov 15 | 210 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 60 locations is 3,754; Schoenchen's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 4,017 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,381 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 6a in Kansas
Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −10 to −5 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. Kansas spans 3 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Kansas locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7a.
Explore zone 6a in other states at zone 6a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 6a mean in Kansas?
- Zone 6a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −10 to −5 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 60 locations in Kansas fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Kansas's zone 6a is the growing season longest?
- Atchison runs the longest season on this page at about 199 days; Edson is shortest at about 145 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in Kansas's zone 6a?
- Using Schoenchen's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 28 – Mar 14, then transplant outside about May 2 – May 9. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in Kansas's zone 6a have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 60 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.