U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00141704 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Coldwater, KS

NOAA weather station Coldwater (USC00141704), Kansas · elevation 2115 ft (645 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 28only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season197 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Coldwater, KSSpring: a frost after March 29 in 9 years out of 10, after April 13 in half of the years, after April 28 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 197 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 13First frost ~Oct 27Frost season at Coldwater, KSSpring: a frost after March 29 in 9 years out of 10, after April 13 in half of the years, after April 28 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 14 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 197 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 13First frost ~Oct 27
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 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 28October 14
50% (typical)April 13October 27
90% (likely)March 29November 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
197 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 3
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 15 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 28 (1 day later). Frost-free season 195 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 Coldwater: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 28, 20% April 23, 30% April 19, 40% April 16, 50% April 13, 60% April 9, 70% April 6, 80% April 3, 90% March 29. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 21, 2022 April 14, 2024 March 28, 2025 April 7, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 28Apr 13Mar 292021: April 212022: April 142024: March 282025: April 72026: March 17Fall at Coldwater: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 14, 20% October 18, 30% October 21, 40% October 24, 50% October 27, 60% October 30, 70% November 2, 80% November 4, 90% November 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 18, 2022 November 5, 2023 October 28, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 14Oct 27Nov 92021: November 182022: November 52023: October 282024: October 162025: October 30
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. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 21November 18
2022April 14November 5
2023incomplete recordOctober 28
2024March 28October 16
2025April 7October 30
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 14 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Coldwater, Kansas, because there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. Gardeners who wait until this date reduce the risk of frost damage while still allowing a late season.

The 50% dates—April 13 for spring and October 27 for fall—represent the day when a light frost at 32 °F is equally likely to have occurred or not, giving a statistical midpoint for planning. The median hard-frost dates are April 3 in spring and November 5 in fall; these are the points at which a 28 °F frost is as likely as not. For a cautious plan, the spring light-frost date of April 28 (10 % chance of a later frost) is used to set out tender crops, and the fall cautious date of October 14 is used to finish harvesting. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that would survive a 32 °F light frost, making the hard-frost dates more critical.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 28" 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 14" 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 Coldwater, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Ashland, KS — 25 mi; 2 — Pratt, KS — 41 mi; 3 — Dodge City, KS — 49 mi; 4 — Gate, OK — 50 mi; 5 — Cimarron, KS — 67 mi.KSOK25 mi · 40 km1. Ashland, KS — 25 mi12. Pratt, KS — 41 mi23. Dodge City, KS — 49 mi34. Gate, OK — 50 mi45. Cimarron, KS — 67 mi5
  1. Ashland, KS 25 mi (39 km)
  2. Pratt, KS 41 mi (66 km)
  3. Dodge City, KS 49 mi (78 km)
  4. Gate, OK 50 mi (80 km)
  5. Cimarron, KS 67 mi (108 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.2733, -99.3289.