U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00331197 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Cambridge, OH

NOAA weather station Cambridge (USC00331197), Ohio · elevation 800 ft (244 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 15only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season172 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Cambridge, OHSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 28 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 28First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Cambridge, OHSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 28 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 28First frost ~Oct 17
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 15October 3
50% (typical)April 28October 17
90% (likely)April 13October 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
172 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (4 days later). Frost-free season 178 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Cambridge: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 15, 20% May 9, 30% May 4, 40% May 1, 50% April 28, 60% April 24, 70% April 21, 80% April 17, 90% April 13.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 15Apr 28Apr 13Fall at Cambridge: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 7, 30% October 11, 40% October 14, 50% October 17, 60% October 19, 70% October 22, 80% October 24, 90% October 28.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 17Oct 28
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there.

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Cambridge for finishing the harvest is October 3, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived. Gardeners should try to complete tender-crop harvesting by that date. The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is May 15, which carries a 10 % chance of a later frost.

The 50 % dates—April 28 in spring and October 17 in fall—represent the median point where a light frost has a 50 % chance of occurring later than the spring date and earlier than the fall date; they are not frost dates themselves. The 50 % hard-frost dates are April 15 in spring and October 28 in fall, indicating the midpoint of risk for temperatures that drop to 28 °F. A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost because it can cause injury that a 32 °F frost does not.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 15" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 3" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Cambridge, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Zanesville, OH — 17 mi; 2 — Dennison, OH — 30 mi; 3 — New Lexington, OH — 39 mi; 4 — Millersburg, OH — 41 mi; 5 — Marietta, OH — 42 mi.OHWVPA25 mi · 40 km1. Zanesville, OH — 17 mi12. Dennison, OH — 30 mi23. New Lexington, OH — 39 mi34. Millersburg, OH — 41 mi45. Marietta, OH — 42 mi5
  1. Zanesville, OH 17 mi (28 km)
  2. Dennison, OH 30 mi (48 km)
  3. New Lexington, OH 39 mi (62 km)
  4. Millersburg, OH 41 mi (65 km)
  5. Marietta, OH 42 mi (68 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.0111, -81.5794.