What Hardiness Zone Is Nebraska?

USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map · 609 ZIP codes · Data updated 2026-10-28

Quick answer

Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 5a–6a on the 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The most common zone is 5b, covering 48% of Nebraska's ZIP codes, followed by zone 6a (34%). Zone 5b means the coldest night of an average winter reaches −15°F to −10°F (−26°C to −23°C). Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

Nebraska hardiness zones by share of ZIP codes

Zone 5a18% · 112 ZIPs

Zone 5b48% · 291 ZIPs

Zone 6a34% · 206 ZIPs

What the zones mean for Nebraska gardeners

Coldest and warmest towns: among towns with NOAA weather stations, Harrison (4,850 ft) is in zone 5a, while Falls City 4NE (930 ft) is in zone 6a. That is a difference of about 10°F in the coldest night of a typical winter.
Same zone, different frost dates: within zone 5b, the median last spring frost ranges from April 15 at Valley NWS to May 15 at Sidney Municipal Airport, 30 days apart. Your zone tells you which perennials survive winter; your frost dates tell you when to plant.

Typical frost dates in each Nebraska zone

Medians across NOAA weather stations in each zone. Colder zones usually have later spring frosts, but local terrain can shift the dates by weeks.

Zone	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Stations
5a	May 5	October 2	35
5b	April 30	October 10	78
6a	April 24	October 14	31

Hardiness zones for Nebraska cities

Zones at the National Weather Service stations, mostly city airports, with their median frost dates.


Falls City Brenner Field	6a	−10°F to −5°F	980	Apr 18	Oct 17
Grand Island Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,840	Apr 23	Oct 15
Hastings Municipal Airport	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,940	Apr 22	Oct 16
Hayes Center 1NW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,045	May 3	Oct 10
Imperial Municipal Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,268	May 2	Oct 11
Lincoln 11 SW	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,372	Apr 22	Oct 14
Lincoln 8 ENE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,189	Apr 27	Oct 10
Lincoln Municipal Airport	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,190	Apr 24	Oct 13
Omaha #1	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,280	Apr 16	Oct 18
Omaha Eppley Airfield	6a	−10°F to −5°F	982	Apr 18	Oct 21
Ord Evelyn Sharp Field	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,069	May 5	Oct 3
Scottsbluff Heilig Airport	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,945	May 5	Oct 4
Sidney Municipal Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	4,309	May 15	Sep 30
Whitman 5 ENE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,740	May 4	Oct 8

Hardiness zones for 144 towns in Nebraska

Each NOAA weather station is shown with the USDA zone of the nearest ZIP code (within 8 miles). Coldest night is the zone's range for the average annual extreme minimum temperature. Click a column to sort.

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Albion	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,795	May 1	Oct 5
Alliance 1WNW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,994	May 11	Oct 3
Anselmo 2 WSW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,733	May 10	Oct 1
Arnold 4 WNW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,877	May 5	Oct 3
Arthur	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,660	May 9	Oct 3
Ashland #2	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,118	Apr 23	Oct 16
Atkinson 3SW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,128	May 4	Oct 4
Auburn 5 ESE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	930	Apr 24	Oct 10
Aurora	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,785	Apr 21	Oct 15
Bartlett 1W	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,175	May 4	Oct 8
Beatrice 1N	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,297	Apr 24	Oct 15
Beaver City	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,148	May 4	Oct 4
Benkelman 1N	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,081	Apr 30	Oct 12
Big Springs	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,379	May 10	Oct 3
Blair	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,090	Apr 22	Oct 17
Brady	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,651	May 2	Oct 10
Bridgeport	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,666	May 8	Oct 3
Broadwater 3WNW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,479	May 13	Sep 28
Broken Bow 2 W	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,504	May 10	Oct 1
Butte	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,806	May 4	Oct 6
Callaway 8WSW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,913	May 3	Oct 6
Cambridge	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,239	May 3	Oct 5
Canaday Steam Plt	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,362	Apr 26	Oct 13
Central City	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,700	Apr 28	Oct 10
Chadron 3SW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,383	May 15	Sep 28
Chambers	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,129	May 1	Oct 7
Chappell	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,710	May 8	Oct 5
Clarkson	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,550	Apr 27	Oct 10
Clay Center	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,788	Apr 19	Oct 20
Columbus 3 NE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,450	Apr 21	Oct 15
Comstock	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,255	May 4	Oct 4
Concord	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,444	May 2	Oct 4
Creighton	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,660	Apr 30	Oct 6
Crete 4ESE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,460	Apr 23	Oct 12
Crofton	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,400	Apr 30	Oct 8
Culbertson	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,581	May 2	Oct 9
Curtis	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,606	May 1	Oct 9
Dalton	5b	−15°F to −10°F	4,278	Apr 28	Oct 13
David City	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,610	Apr 26	Oct 11
Edison	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,120	May 1	Oct 7
Elgin	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,935	Apr 29	Oct 9
Ellsworth 15 NNE	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,970	May 12	Oct 1
Ellsworth 2W	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,909	May 14	Oct 2
Eustis 2 NW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,734	Apr 30	Oct 12
Fairbury 5S	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,350	Apr 25	Oct 15
Fairmont	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,640	Apr 25	Oct 14
Falls City 4NE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	930	Apr 18	Oct 14
Falls City Brenner Field	6a	−10°F to −5°F	980	Apr 18	Oct 17
Fort Calhoun 4W	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,310	Apr 19	Oct 17
Fort Robinson	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,812	May 13	Sep 30
Franklin #2	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,861	Apr 30	Oct 8
Fremont	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,180	Apr 23	Oct 15
Friend 3E	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,535	Apr 26	Oct 13
Geneva	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,630	Apr 20	Oct 18
Genoa 2 W	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,590	Apr 30	Oct 5
Gothenburg	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,603	Apr 30	Oct 9
Grand Island Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,840	Apr 23	Oct 15
Greeley	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,020	May 5	Oct 2
Gretna 4NE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,240	Apr 21	Oct 18
Harlan County Lake	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,010	Apr 25	Oct 14
Harrison	5a	−20°F to −15°F	4,850	May 20	Sep 21
Hartington	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,408	Apr 30	Oct 5
Hastings 4N	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,938	Apr 25	Oct 14
Hastings Municipal Airport	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,940	Apr 22	Oct 16
Hay Springs 12 S	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,805	May 15	Sep 24
Hayes Center 1NW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,045	May 3	Oct 10
Hebron	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,480	Apr 24	Oct 15
Hemingford	5a	−20°F to −15°F	4,270	May 8	Oct 5
Hershey 5 SSE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,952	May 4	Oct 9
Holdrege	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,320	May 2	Oct 11
Howells	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,520	Apr 25	Oct 11
Imperial	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,294	May 7	Oct 5
Imperial Municipal Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,268	May 2	Oct 11
Kearney 4 NE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,130	Apr 30	Oct 10
Kilgore 1NE	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,905	May 10	Sep 29
Kimball 2NE	5a	−20°F to −15°F	4,708	May 15	Sep 26
Lincoln 11 SW	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,372	Apr 22	Oct 14
Lincoln 8 ENE	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,189	Apr 27	Oct 10
Lincoln Municipal Airport	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,190	Apr 24	Oct 13
Lodgepole 8N	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,886	May 14	Sep 29
Loup City	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,070	May 2	Oct 8
Lynch	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,411	May 8	Oct 2
Madison	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,580	Apr 30	Oct 6
Madrid	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,200	May 4	Oct 7
Mason City	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,292	May 3	Oct 5
Mc Cook	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,602	May 2	Oct 9
Mead 6S	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,155	Apr 25	Oct 13
Medicine Creek Dam	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,409	May 4	Oct 5
Minatare Dam (usbr)	5a	−20°F to −15°F	4,144	May 5	Oct 11
Minden	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,160	Apr 26	Oct 12
Mullen	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,215	May 7	Oct 5
N Loup	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,961	May 5	Oct 3
N Platte Experiment Farm	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,025	May 3	Oct 10
Nebraska City 2NW	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,055	Apr 18	Oct 19
Norfolk 4W	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,545	May 1	Oct 4
O'neill	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,990	May 3	Oct 5
Oakdale	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,749	May 4	Oct 4
Oconto	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,580	May 10	Oct 1
Ogallala	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,230	May 1	Oct 12
Omaha #1	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,280	Apr 16	Oct 18
Omaha Eppley Airfield	6a	−10°F to −5°F	982	Apr 18	Oct 21
Ord Evelyn Sharp Field	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,069	May 5	Oct 3
Osceola	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,662	Apr 25	Oct 14
Oshkosh	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,390	May 9	Oct 2
Osmond	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,650	Apr 30	Oct 6
Oxford 6NNW	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,242	May 1	Oct 8
Pawnee City	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,189	Apr 22	Oct 15
Purdum	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,690	May 9	Oct 2
Ragan	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,240	Apr 24	Oct 18
Ravenna	5b	−15°F to −10°F	2,046	May 4	Oct 3
Raymond 2E	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,283	Apr 22	Oct 16
Red Cloud	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,732	May 1	Oct 5
Rushville	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,790	May 13	Sep 30
Saint Paul	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,812	Apr 23	Oct 14
Scottsbluff Heilig Airport	5a	−20°F to −15°F	3,945	May 5	Oct 4
Seward	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,445	Apr 26	Oct 12
Sidney 6 NNW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	4,320	May 8	Oct 4
Sidney Municipal Airport	5b	−15°F to −10°F	4,309	May 15	Sep 30
Springfield 7E	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,065	Apr 17	Oct 19
Springview 2NW	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,388	May 10	Oct 1
Stanton	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,540	Apr 28	Oct 9
Stanton 7NE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,580	Apr 30	Oct 7
Superior	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,512	Apr 29	Oct 10
Surprise	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,545	Apr 29	Oct 9
Swan Lake	5a	−20°F to −15°F	2,330	May 4	Oct 2
Syracuse	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,100	Apr 25	Oct 11
Table Rock 4N	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,130	Apr 23	Oct 13
Tecumseh 1S	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,110	Apr 26	Oct 10
Tekamah	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,140	Apr 28	Oct 10
Trenton Dam 1N	6a	−10°F to −5°F	2,813	Apr 29	Oct 13
Valley NWS	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,145	Apr 15	Oct 21
Verdel 6SSE	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,350	May 5	Oct 2
Virginia	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,545	Apr 22	Oct 20
W Point	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,310	Apr 28	Oct 12
Wahoo	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,220	Apr 23	Oct 15
Wakefield	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,408	May 5	Oct 1
Wallace 2W	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,153	May 4	Oct 4
Walthill 1E	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,280	May 1	Oct 6
Wayne	5a	−20°F to −15°F	1,465	Apr 29	Oct 11
Weeping Water	6a	−10°F to −5°F	1,100	Apr 23	Oct 16
Weston 3NW	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,365	Apr 23	Oct 13
Whitman 5 ENE	5b	−15°F to −10°F	3,740	May 4	Oct 8
York	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,610	Apr 22	Oct 18
York 3N	5b	−15°F to −10°F	1,613	Apr 29	Oct 13

Frequently asked questions

What hardiness zone is Nebraska?

Nebraska is in USDA hardiness zones 5a–6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zone 5b is the most common, covering 48% of Nebraska's ZIP codes, and zone 6a covers 34%. Enter your ZIP code for your exact zone.

What does zone 5b mean?

Zone 5b means the average annual extreme minimum temperature, the coldest night of a typical winter, is −15°F to −10°F (−26°C to −23°C). Perennials, shrubs and trees rated for zone 5b or colder should survive winter there.

What is the coldest hardiness zone in Nebraska?

Zone 5a is the coldest zone mapped in Nebraska, found around Harrison, and zone 6a is the warmest, found around Falls City 4NE.

Did Nebraska's hardiness zones change in 2023?

The USDA released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map in November 2023, based on 1991–2020 temperatures instead of 1976–2005. About half of the United States shifted half a zone warmer. Check your ZIP code here, because plant tags and older books may still list your 2012 zone.

When should I plant in zone 5b?

Hardiness zones don't set planting dates; frost dates do. Inside zone 5b in Nebraska, the median last spring frost varies from April 15 to May 15. Look up your local frost dates and plant tender crops such as tomatoes after the 10%-risk last-frost date.

Zone and frost dates: use both

Your hardiness zone answers one question: will this plant survive the winter here? Choose perennials, shrubs, trees and bulbs rated for your zone or a colder one. For vegetables and annuals, what matters is the length of the frost-free season. See Nebraska frost dates by town, or get a planting calendar for your ZIP code with start-indoors, transplant and sowing dates for 30 crops.

Sources and method

Zones are from the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP-code files published by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, based on 1991–2020 minimum temperatures. ZIP codes are assigned to states by USPS prefix. Town zones use the ZIP code nearest each NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals station. This is an independent tool, not an official USDA site. Full methodology.