U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00123207 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Garrett, IN

NOAA weather station Garrett 1 S (USC00123207), Indiana · elevation 870 ft (265 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season159 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Garrett, INSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 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: 159 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 2First frost ~Oct 10Frost season at Garrett, INSpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 2 in half of the years, after May 16 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: 159 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 2First 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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 16September 26
50% (typical)May 2October 10
90% (likely)April 19October 24
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
159 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 22
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 22

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 2 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 14 (4 days later). Frost-free season 164 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 Garrett: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 11, 30% May 8, 40% May 5, 50% May 2, 60% April 30, 70% April 27, 80% April 23, 90% April 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 April 27, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 16May 2Apr 192021: May 122022: April 272023: April 272024: April 262025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Garrett: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 26, 20% October 2, 30% October 5, 40% October 8, 50% October 10, 60% October 13, 70% October 16, 80% October 19, 90% October 24. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 24, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 26Oct 10Oct 242021: October 242022: October 82023: October 232024: October 162025: October 25
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 12October 24
2022April 27October 8
2023April 27October 23
2024April 26October 16
2025April 17October 25
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 16 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Garrett, carrying only a 10 % chance that a frost will occur later, so a gardener can schedule the first planting of tender crops after that day with relatively low risk. The median, or 50 % date, is May 2; at that point there is an even chance of a frost later in the season. The 28 °F hard-frost median for spring is April 22, a separate threshold indicating when temperatures can drop to a level that can kill many plants.

In the fall the cautious light-frost date is September 26, when there is only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, allowing the final harvest of tender crops to be planned through that date. The 50 % fall median is October 10, and the hard-frost median is October 22. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure or kill vegetation that would survive a light frost at 32 °F, making the hard-frost dates a higher-risk indicator.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 16" 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 Garrett, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Angola, IN — 23 mi; 2 — Columbia City, IN — 23 mi; 3 — Fort Wayne, IN — 26 mi; 4 — Bluffton, IN — 36 mi; 5 — Defiance, OH — 38 mi.INOHMI25 mi · 40 km1. Angola, IN — 23 mi12. Columbia City, IN — 23 mi23. Fort Wayne, IN — 26 mi34. Bluffton, IN — 36 mi45. Defiance, OH — 38 mi5
  1. Angola, IN 23 mi (37 km)
  2. Columbia City, IN 23 mi (38 km)
  3. Fort Wayne, IN 26 mi (41 km)
  4. Bluffton, IN 36 mi (58 km)
  5. Defiance, OH 38 mi (62 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.3367, -85.1197.