Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 68443 — Sterling, NE

ZIP code 68443 (Sterling, Johnson County) is in USDA zone 5b: the coldest winter night averages −15 to −10 °F. The median last spring frost is April 26 and the first fall frost October 10.

Where ZIP 68443 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone5b−15 to −10 °F
Coldest night−26.1 to −23.3 °C
Last frostApr 26
First frostOct 10
2012 zone5b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 5b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Sterling, NE…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Sterling, NE

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostApril 26median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 11only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 10median — 10% chance by Sep 25
Growing season164 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around April 16 and returns around October 20.

From the NOAA station Tecumseh 1s, NE — 11 miles away, elevation 1,109 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 68443

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Mar 15 – Mar 29
SpinachSow outdoors · Mar 15 – Apr 5
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Feb 15 – Mar 1
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 5 – Apr 19
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Mar 29 – Apr 12
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 5 – Apr 19
LettuceSow outdoors · Mar 29 – Apr 12
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 5 – Apr 19
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 1 – Mar 15
TomatoesTransplant · May 3 – May 17
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Feb 15 – Mar 1
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 10 – May 24
BeansSow outdoors · May 3 – May 17
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 3 – May 17
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 3 – May 17
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Aug 15 – Aug 29
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 26 – Oct 31
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (Apr 26) and first fall frost (Oct 10) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 68443 came on Mar 10 — 17 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Mar 27).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 5b in Nebraska

420 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Nebraska, and rated by the USDA to survive −15 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 5b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 31

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Fbitternut hickory75 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −47 °Fblack locust60 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −37 °Fblack oak80 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −30 °F

Shrubs 55

alderleaf mountain mahogany15 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −41 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican plum24 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Fantelope bitterbrush6 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −36 °Fbig sagebrush4 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −43 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 190

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine sweetvetch2 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FAmerican licorice4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican speedwell0.8 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Grasses 130

alkali cordgrass3 ft · blooms late summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falkali sacaton3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbasin wildrye5 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to −43 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °FBebb's sedge3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Vines 7

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °Friverbank grape45 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Fsummer grape30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °FVirginia creeper1 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −28 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Sterling, NE.

Soil in Sterling, NE

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 68443 is Nodaway — silt loam, moderately well drained.

TextureSilt loama good balance for most vegetables
pH6.7neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageModerately well drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classprime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Nodaway silt loam, occasionally flooded.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 68443; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Sterling, NE

Summer high88 °Faverage high, July
Winter low13 °Faverage low, January
Hot days35days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights144nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days3,502base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day15 h 04 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 17 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation31.4 inper year, rain and melted snow
Snowfall21 inper year; 26 days with snow on the ground

Average high and low, by month

0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 35 °F, low 13 °F 35°13° JanFebruary: average high 40 °F, low 17 °F 40°17° FebMarch: average high 53 °F, low 28 °F 53°28° MarApril: average high 64 °F, low 38 °F 64°38° AprMay: average high 74 °F, low 50 °F 74°50° MayJune: average high 83 °F, low 61 °F 83°61° JunJuly: average high 88 °F, low 65 °F 88°65° JulAugust: average high 86 °F, low 63 °F 86°63° AugSeptember: average high 79 °F, low 53 °F 79°53° SepOctober: average high 67 °F, low 39 °F 67°39° OctNovember: average high 52 °F, low 27 °F 52°27° NovDecember: average high 40 °F, low 17 °F 40°17° Dec

Precipitation by month inches · ❄ = snowfall

0″1″2″3″4″5″6″January: 0.82 in precipitation, 7.4 in snowfall 0.8❄7 JanFebruary: 1.07 in precipitation, 6 in snowfall 1.1❄6 FebMarch: 1.90 in precipitation, 1.5 in snowfall 1.9❄2 MarApril: 2.71 in precipitation, 1 in snowfall 2.7❄1 AprMay: 5.27 in precipitation 5.3 MayJune: 3.95 in precipitation 4.0 JunJuly: 4.30 in precipitation 4.3 JulAugust: 3.79 in precipitation 3.8 AugSeptember: 2.60 in precipitation 2.6 SepOctober: 2.30 in precipitation, 0.8 in snowfall 2.3❄1 OctNovember: 1.50 in precipitation, 0.6 in snowfall 1.5❄1 NovDecember: 1.14 in precipitation, 3.7 in snowfall 1.1❄4 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Tecumseh 1s, NE (11 mi away); precipitation: Sterling, NE (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

5 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

683245b
Burr, NE · 8 mi
683446a
Douglas, NE · 8 mi
683016a
Adams, NE · 9 mi
683326a
Crab Orchard, NE · 9 mi
684505b
Tecumseh, NE · 10 mi
683295b
Cook, NE · 11 mi
684196a
Panama, NE · 13 mi
683576a
Filley, NE · 14 mi

Nebraska planting zones →

Questions about 68443

What planting zone is ZIP code 68443?

ZIP code 68443 (Sterling, NE) is in USDA hardiness zone 5b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −15 to −10 °F (−26.1 to −23.3 °C).

When is the last frost in Sterling, NE?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 68443 is April 26; after May 11 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Tecumseh 1s station.

When is the first frost in Sterling, NE?

The median first fall frost near 68443 is October 10, giving a median frost-free growing season of 164 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 68443?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 1 – Mar 15 and set transplants outside around May 3 – May 17, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 68443 get?

About 31.4 inches of precipitation a year and 21 inches of snowfall (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Sterling station).

How hot do summers get in Sterling, NE?

The average high peaks at 88 °F in July, with about 35 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 68443 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Nodaway at the center of ZIP 68443: silt loam, moderately well drained, pH about 6.7 (neutral).

Did spring come early in Sterling, NE in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 68443 came on Mar 10 in 2026, 17 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Mar 27), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Sterling, NE?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 68443 is 15 h 04 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).