USDA zone 5a in Nebraska
USDA plant hardiness zone 5a covers 48 locations across Nebraska (average annual extreme minimum −20 to −15 °F): Alliance, NE, Alliance, NE, Arnold, NE, Atkinson, NE, Bancroft, NE, Bassett, NE, and 42 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges April 28 (Bancroft) to May 24 (Harrisburg), and growing seasons run 117–165 days (Harrisburg to Bancroft) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every Nebraska location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Wakefield, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 5a−20 to −15 °F
- Last frost range
- Apr 28–May 24avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Sep 20–Oct 12avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 117–165days
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance | — | Alliance 1wnw | May 11 | Oct 3 | 144 |
| Alliance | Hyannis | Ellsworth 2w | May 14 | Oct 2 | 140 |
| Arnold | — | Arnold 4 Wnw | May 5 | Oct 3 | 149 |
| Atkinson | Stuart | Atkinson 3sw | May 4 | Oct 4 | 152 |
| Bancroft | — | W Pt | Apr 28 | Oct 12 | 165 |
| Bassett | Newport | Newport | May 6 | Oct 1 | 147 |
| Bridgeport | Bayard, Broadwater | Bridgeport | May 8 | Oct 3 | 147 |
| Burwell | Elyria, Taylor | Burwell | May 4 | Oct 5 | 154 |
| Chadron | Whitney | Chadron 3sw | May 15 | Sep 28 | 133 |
| Chambers | — | Swan Lake | May 4 | Oct 2 | 150 |
| Chambers | — | Chambers | May 1 | Oct 7 | 159 |
| Cody | Kilgore, Crookston | Kilgore 1ne | May 10 | Sep 29 | 141 |
| Crawford | — | Ft Robinson | May 13 | Sep 30 | 138 |
| Creighton | Winnetoon, Center | Creighton | Apr 30 | Oct 6 | 158 |
| Ericson | Bartlett | Bartlett 1w | May 4 | Oct 8 | 154 |
| Ewing | Orchard, Clearwater, Inman, Royal | Ewing | May 7 | Sep 30 | 144 |
| Gordon | Batesland | Gordon 6n | May 11 | Oct 2 | 142 |
| Greeley Center | Spalding | Greeley | May 5 | Oct 2 | 149 |
| Halsey | — | Purdum | May 9 | Oct 2 | 143 |
| Harrisburg | Hawk Springs, Lyman | Harrisburg 12wnw | May 24 | Sep 20 | 117 |
| Harrison | — | Harrison | May 20 | Sep 21 | 121 |
| Hay Springs | — | Hay Springs 12 S | May 15 | Sep 24 | 131 |
| Hemingford | — | Hemingford | May 8 | Oct 5 | 149 |
| Hyannis | — | Ellsworth 15 Nne | May 12 | Oct 1 | 141 |
| Hyannis | — | Whitman 5 Ene | May 4 | Oct 8 | 155 |
| Kimball | Bushnell | Kimball 2ne | May 15 | Sep 26 | 132 |
| Laurel | Coleridge | Hartington | Apr 30 | Oct 5 | 159 |
| Lindy | Crofton, Fordyce | Crofton | Apr 30 | Oct 8 | 160 |
| Lisco | — | Crescent Lake Nwr | May 13 | Sep 29 | 139 |
| Long Pine | Brewster | Elsmere 9 Ene | May 6 | Oct 3 | 150 |
| Lynch | — | Lynch | May 8 | Oct 2 | 147 |
| Macy | Sloan, Walthill, Winnebago, Rosalie | Walthill 1e | May 1 | Oct 6 | 156 |
| Merna | Anselmo, Dunning | Anselmo 2 Wsw | May 10 | Oct 1 | 143 |
| Merriman | — | Merriman | May 13 | Oct 1 | 138 |
| Mitchell | Minatare, McGrew, Melbeta | Scottsbluff Heilig Ap | May 5 | Oct 4 | 149 |
| Neligh | Tilden, Oakdale | Oakdale | May 4 | Oct 4 | 153 |
| Oconto | — | Oconto | May 10 | Oct 1 | 145 |
| Osmond | — | Osmond | Apr 30 | Oct 6 | 160 |
| Pierce | — | Norfolk 4w | May 1 | Oct 4 | 156 |
| Rushville | — | Rushville | May 13 | Sep 30 | 137 |
| Sargent | — | Broken Bow Muni Ap | May 1 | Oct 7 | 157 |
| Spencer | Butte, St. Charles, Naper | Butte | May 4 | Oct 6 | 152 |
| Springview | Burton | Springview 2nw | May 10 | Oct 1 | 143 |
| Valentine | Nenzel | Valentine Nwr | Apr 30 | Oct 11 | 163 |
| Valentine | — | Valentine Miller Fld | May 12 | Sep 29 | 140 |
| Verdigre | — | Verdel 6sse | May 5 | Oct 2 | 148 |
| Wakefield * | Pender, Emerson, Allen, Thurston, Dixon, Waterbury, +1 more | Wakefield | May 5 | Oct 1 | 148 |
| Wayne | Belden | Wayne | Apr 29 | Oct 11 | 163 |
* Wakefield 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 (Wakefield, representative)
Computed from Wakefield's average frost dates — the median-season location in this Nebraskazone 5a 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 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 12 – May 19 | Jul 11 – Jul 31 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 19 – May 26 | Jul 18 – Aug 17 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 19 | Jul 1 – Jul 21 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | May 12 – May 19 | Jun 26 – Jul 11 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | May 12 – May 19 | Jul 1 – Jul 11 | Aug 2 – Aug 12 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 – Aug 3 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 12 – May 19 | Jun 11 – Jun 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 22 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 – Aug 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 18 – Jun 2 | Jul 9 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 – May 13 | Jul 29 – Aug 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | Jun 13 – Jul 3 | Jun 29 – Jul 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | Jun 1 – Jun 21 | Jul 4 – Jul 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Wakefield's own 148-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 (Wakefield)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00258915. 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 14 | May 27 | Sep 22 | Oct 5 | 131 |
| 32°F (freeze) | May 5 | May 18 | Oct 1 | Oct 15 | 148 |
| 28°F | Apr 28 | May 10 | Oct 11 | Oct 24 | 166 |
| 24°F | Apr 16 | May 2 | Oct 22 | Nov 4 | 186 |
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 48 locations is 2,854; Wakefield's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,020 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 5,109 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 5a in Nebraska
Zone 5a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about −20 to −15 °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. Nebraska spans 3 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all Nebraska locations for the full range, including zones5b, 6a.
Explore zone 5a in other states at zone 5a, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 5a mean in Nebraska?
- Zone 5a means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of −20 to −15 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 48 locations in Nebraska fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in Nebraska's zone 5a is the growing season longest?
- Bancroft runs the longest season on this page at about 165 days; Harrisburg is shortest at about 117 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 Nebraska's zone 5a?
- Using Wakefield's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Mar 10 – Mar 24, then transplant outside about May 12 – May 19. 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 Nebraska's zone 5a 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 48 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.