U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00422592 · Utah

Frost Dates for Escalante, UT

NOAA weather station Escalante (USC00422592), Utah · elevation 5810 ft (1771 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season155 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Escalante, UTSpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 8 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 26 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 155 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 8First frost ~Oct 10Frost season at Escalante, UTSpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 8 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 26 in 1 year out of 10, before October 10 in half of the years, before October 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 155 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 8First frost ~Oct 10
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 24September 26
50% (typical)May 8October 10
90% (likely)April 22October 24
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
155 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 22
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 20

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 9 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 8 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 152 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 Escalante: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 24, 20% May 19, 30% May 15, 40% May 11, 50% May 8, 60% May 3, 70% April 30, 80% April 27, 90% April 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 23, 2022 May 21, 2023 May 6, 2024 May 10, 2025 April 28, 2026 April 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 24May 8Apr 222021: May 232022: May 212023: May 62024: May 102025: April 282026: April 18Fall at Escalante: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 26, 20% October 1, 30% October 4, 40% October 7, 50% October 10, 60% October 12, 70% October 16, 80% October 20, 90% October 24. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 12, 2022 October 24, 2023 October 13, 2024 October 31, 2025 October 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 26Oct 10Oct 242021: October 122022: October 242023: October 132024: October 312025: October 17
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
2021May 23October 12
2022May 21October 24
2023May 6October 13
2024May 10October 31
2025April 28October 17
2026April 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

September 26 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. A gamble would be to count on tender crops persisting until October 24, when a 90 % chance of a light frost earlier is indicated.

The 50 % dates mark the point where the odds of a light frost are even. The 50 % date is May 8 in spring and October 10 in fall; at each of those dates the chance of a light frost is 50 %. A cautious plan for tender crops uses the late-spring 10 % date, May 24, and the early-fall 10 % date, September 26, to minimize frost risk.

The 50 % hard-frost dates are April 22 in spring and October 20 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more severe threat.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 24" 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 26" 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 Escalante, UTNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Boulder, UT — 14 mi; 2 — Bryce Canyon National Park Headquarters, UT — 33 mi; 3 — Capitol Reef National Park, UT — 40 mi; 4 — Alton, UT — 53 mi; 5 — Kanab, UT — 73 mi.UTAZ25 mi · 40 km1. Boulder, UT — 14 mi12. Bryce Canyon National Park Headquarters, UT — 33 mi23. Capitol Reef National Park, UT — 40 mi34. Alton, UT — 53 mi45. Kanab, UT — 73 mi5
  1. Boulder, UT 14 mi (22 km)
  2. Bryce Canyon National Park Headquarters, UT 33 mi (52 km)
  3. Capitol Reef National Park, UT 40 mi (65 km)
  4. Alton, UT 53 mi (86 km)
  5. Kanab, UT 73 mi (117 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: 37.7686, -111.5978.