U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143008 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Garnett, KS

NOAA weather station Garnett 1 E (USC00143008), Kansas · elevation 998 ft (304 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season189 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Garnett, KSSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Oct 22Frost season at Garnett, KSSpring: a frost after April 1 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 189 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Oct 22
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 1October 7
50% (typical)April 17October 22
90% (likely)April 1November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
189 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 6
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 13 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22. Frost-free season 192 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 Garnett: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 1, 20% April 27, 30% April 24, 40% April 20, 50% April 17, 60% April 14, 70% April 10, 80% April 6, 90% April 1. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 6, 2025 April 9, 2026 March 28.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 1Apr 17Apr 12021: April 232022: April 202023: April 232024: April 62025: April 92026: March 28Fall at Garnett: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 7, 20% October 13, 30% October 17, 40% October 20, 50% October 22, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% October 31, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 18, 2023 October 29, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 7Oct 22Nov 42021: November 32022: October 182023: October 292024: 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 23November 3
2022April 20October 18
2023April 23October 29
2024April 6October 16
2025April 9October 30
2026March 28season not over yet

What these dates mean

In Garnett, setting out tender crops on the early spring date of April 1 carries a 90 % chance of a light frost later in the season, so it is a gamble for any sensitive plant. The cautious spring date is May 1, when only a 10 % chance of a light frost remains.

The 50% dates—April 17 in spring and October 22 in fall—represent the points at which a light frost is equally likely to occur later (spring) or earlier (fall). They also mark the median hard-frost dates, April 6 and November 1, which are the temperatures at which a 28 °F frost becomes a real threat. Hard frost matters more than light frost because the lower temperature can cause greater damage to plant tissue.

For a careful plan, gardeners finish harvesting tender crops by the cautious fall date of October 7, when only a 10 % chance of a light frost has already arrived.

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 7" 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 Garnett, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Ottawa, KS — 23 mi; 2 — Iola, KS — 27 mi; 3 — Yates Center, KS — 39 mi; 4 — Fort Scott, KS — 43 mi; 5 — Butler, MO — 44 mi.KSMO25 mi · 40 km1. Ottawa, KS — 23 mi12. Iola, KS — 27 mi23. Yates Center, KS — 39 mi34. Fort Scott, KS — 43 mi45. Butler, MO — 44 mi5
  1. Ottawa, KS 23 mi (37 km)
  2. Iola, KS 27 mi (44 km)
  3. Yates Center, KS 39 mi (63 km)
  4. Fort Scott, KS 43 mi (69 km)
  5. Butler, MO 44 mi (71 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: 38.28, -95.2178.