U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00142622 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Eureka, KS

NOAA weather station Eureka 1 E (USC00142622), Kansas · elevation 1100 ft (335 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season186 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Eureka, KSSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 186 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Eureka, KSSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 186 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 20
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 1October 5
50% (typical)April 16October 20
90% (likely)April 1November 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
186 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 5
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 30

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 15 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (2 days later). Frost-free season 190 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 Eureka: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 1, 20% April 26, 30% April 22, 40% April 19, 50% April 16, 60% April 13, 70% April 9, 80% April 6, 90% April 1. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 April 20, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 5, 2025 April 9, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 1Apr 16Apr 12022: April 202023: April 242024: April 52025: April 92026: March 29Fall at Eureka: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 5, 20% October 11, 30% October 15, 40% October 18, 50% October 20, 60% October 23, 70% October 26, 80% October 29, 90% November 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 18, 2023 October 18, 2024 October 16, 2025 November 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 5Oct 20Nov 22022: October 182023: October 182024: October 162025: November 2
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
2021incomplete recordincomplete record
2022April 20October 18
2023April 24October 18
2024April 5October 16
2025April 9November 2
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 1 is the cautious spring date for light frost, meaning there is only a 10 % chance of a frost later than that date and it lets a gardener plan to set out tender crops with minimal risk. The earlier April 1 date carries a 90 % chance of frost later and is considered a gamble, while the median April 16 date is the 50 % point where odds are even.

In the fall the cautious date is October 5, where only a 10 % chance of a frost earlier gives a clear window to finish harvesting tender crops; the 50 % date of October 20 marks the point of even odds. The 50 % dates for light frost are April 16 and October 20, indicating the day on which a gardener has a fifty-fifty chance of experiencing frost. The hard-frost 50 % dates are April 5 and October 30, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 1" 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 5" 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 Eureka, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cassoday, KS — 23 mi; 2 — Howard, KS — 25 mi; 3 — Yates Center, KS — 30 mi; 4 — El Dorado, KS — 32 mi; 5 — Cottonwood Falls, KS — 41 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Cassoday, KS — 23 mi12. Howard, KS — 25 mi23. Yates Center, KS — 30 mi34. El Dorado, KS — 32 mi45. Cottonwood Falls, KS — 41 mi5
  1. Cassoday, KS 23 mi (37 km)
  2. Howard, KS 25 mi (40 km)
  3. Yates Center, KS 30 mi (48 km)
  4. El Dorado, KS 32 mi (51 km)
  5. Cottonwood Falls, KS 41 mi (65 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: 37.8253, -96.2644.