U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00251825 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Columbus, NE

NOAA weather station Columbus 3 NE (USC00251825), Nebraska · elevation 1450 ft (442 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 5only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season174 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Columbus, NESpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 30 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 174 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Columbus, NESpring: a frost after April 7 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 30 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 174 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 15
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 5September 30
50% (typical)April 21October 15
90% (likely)April 7October 27
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
174 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 24

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 23 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 17 (2 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 Columbus: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 5, 20% April 30, 30% April 27, 40% April 24, 50% April 21, 60% April 19, 70% April 16, 80% April 11, 90% April 7. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 19, 2026 May 2.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 5Apr 21Apr 72021: April 222022: April 262023: April 232024: April 212025: April 192026: May 2Fall at Columbus: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 30, 20% October 5, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 23, 90% October 27. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 22, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 27, 2024 October 14, 2025 October 29.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 30Oct 15Oct 272021: October 222022: October 82023: October 272024: October 142025: October 29
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 22October 22
2022April 26October 8
2023April 23October 27
2024April 21October 14
2025April 19October 29
2026May 2season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 5 is the cautious spring date, with only a ten percent chance of a light frost occurring later; this lets a gardener plan to set out tender crops without undue risk. The counterpart cautious fall date is September 30, when there is only a ten percent chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, marking an appropriate point to finish harvesting tender crops.

The 50% date for light frost in spring is April 21; there is a fifty percent chance of a frost later than this date. The 50% date for light frost in fall is October 15; there is a fifty percent chance of a frost earlier than this date. The median hard-frost dates are April 11 and October 24; hard frosts at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so they matter more.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 5" 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 September 30" 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 Columbus, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — David City, NE — 18 mi; 2 — Osceola, NE — 23 mi; 3 — near Norfolk, NE — 36 mi; 4 — Albion, NE — 38 mi; 5 — Seward, NE — 41 mi.NEIA25 mi · 40 km1. David City, NE — 18 mi12. Osceola, NE — 23 mi23. near Norfolk, NE — 36 mi34. Albion, NE — 38 mi45. Seward, NE — 41 mi5
  1. David City, NE 18 mi (29 km)
  2. Osceola, NE 23 mi (36 km)
  3. near Norfolk, NE 36 mi (59 km)
  4. Albion, NE 38 mi (62 km)
  5. Seward, NE 41 mi (66 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.4639, -97.3278.