Lawn Calendar
First mow, overseed window, last feed, last cut, and snow-mold watch. Computed for your exact place from the 30-year climate record at your nearest station.
Showing Denver. Search for your own town, or use your location.
Lawn dates for your place, with reminders.
Weekend work window: Check the live forecast and task windows for your place on the Weather page before you head outside.
Lawn dates for major cities
Computed from each city's own station normals. Your town's dates may differ; use the planner above for your exact place.
| City | First mow | Overseed | Last mow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | April 4 | September 30 - October 28 | November 11 | |
| Los Angeles, CA | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Chicago, IL | April 13 | September 5 - October 3 | October 17 | |
| Houston, TX | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Phoenix, AZ | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Philadelphia, PA | April 2 | September 15 - October 13 | October 27 | |
| San Antonio, TX | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| San Diego, CA | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Dallas, TX | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Austin, TX | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Miami, FL | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Tampa, FL | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Atlanta, GA | March 2 | September 14 - October 12 | October 26 | |
| Seattle, WA | April 4 | September 22 - October 20 | November 3 | |
| Denver, CO | April 23 | August 19 - September 16 | September 30 | |
| Boston, MA | April 19 | September 14 - October 12 | October 26 | |
| Las Vegas, NV | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Portland, OR | April 4 | September 14 - October 12 | October 26 | |
| Minneapolis, MN | April 25 | August 13 - September 10 | September 24 | |
| Detroit, MI | April 25 | August 29 - September 26 | October 10 | |
| Nashville, TN | March 10 | September 8 - October 6 | October 20 | |
| Charlotte, NC | March 4 | September 8 - October 6 | October 20 | |
| Honolulu, HI | Year-round | Late summer | As needed | |
| Anchorage, AK | May 16 | August 4 - September 1 | September 15 |
Method: monthly mean temperature normals anchored mid-month, linear interpolation across 50F (first mow) and 45F (growth slowdown). Frost offsets use the station's average first fall frost. Read the full methodology.
Field notes
The dates above are the 30-year average. This is the lawn season people nearby are actually having. Add what you are seeing, read what your neighbours saw.
Set your place above to read and add notes for your town.
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Questions, answered plainly
When should I mow my lawn for the first time in spring?
Wait until the soil has warmed enough that grass is actively growing, roughly when the monthly mean temperature crosses about 50F. Across the South that can be March; in the Midwest and Northeast, mid to late April; in the Mountain West, May. Mowing too early on cold, wet soil compacts the root zone.
When should I overseed my lawn?
For cool-season lawns, late summer, four to eight weeks before the average first frost: the soil is still warm for fast germination but nights are cool enough that the new grass hardens off before winter. Warm-season lawns across the South are best overseeded for winter color in early fall. The tool above computes the window from your station.
When is the last fertilizer application?
About six weeks before the first frost. Any later and the nitrogen pushes soft, sappy growth that is vulnerable to winter injury. The tool above computes the date from your station normals.
Why is the last mow important for snow mold?
In snowy regions, long grass matting under heavy, wet snow is the main snow-mold habitat. The final cut should be slightly shorter than summer height, but never scalped, and timed before the ground freezes and snow settles. Where winters stay mild it is not a concern.