U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00253175 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Geneva, NE

NOAA weather station Geneva (USC00253175), Nebraska · elevation 1630 ft (497 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season178 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Geneva, NESpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 178 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 18Frost season at Geneva, NESpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 178 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 18
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 3October 2
50% (typical)April 20October 18
90% (likely)April 6October 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
178 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 27

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 21 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (1 day later). Frost-free season 180 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 Geneva: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 3, 20% April 30, 30% April 27, 40% April 23, 50% April 20, 60% April 17, 70% April 14, 80% April 11, 90% April 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 26, 2023 May 2.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 3Apr 20Apr 62021: April 222022: April 262023: May 2Fall at Geneva: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 2, 20% October 8, 30% October 12, 40% October 16, 50% October 18, 60% October 21, 70% October 23, 80% October 26, 90% October 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 2Oct 18Oct 302021: October 16
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 16
2022April 26incomplete record
2023May 2incomplete record
2024incomplete recordno data
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 6 is a gamble, because there is a 90 % chance of a light frost occurring later in the season. A cautious plan waits until May 3, when only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains, before exposing delicate seedlings.

April 20 is the 50% date for light frost, meaning there is a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, while October 18 is the 50% date for fall, meaning there is a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. The cautious fall date is October 2, which carries only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier. Hard-frost dates—April 11 in spring and October 27 in fall—are noted because a temperature of 28 °F can damage plants more severely than 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 3" 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 2" 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 Geneva, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Clay Center, NE — 24 mi; 2 — Hebron, NE — 25 mi; 3 — Seward, NE — 37 mi; 4 — Crete, NE — 38 mi; 5 — Fairbury, NE — 39 mi.KS25 mi · 40 km1. Clay Center, NE — 24 mi12. Hebron, NE — 25 mi23. Seward, NE — 37 mi34. Crete, NE — 38 mi45. Fairbury, NE — 39 mi5
  1. Clay Center, NE 24 mi (39 km)
  2. Hebron, NE 25 mi (40 km)
  3. Seward, NE 37 mi (59 km)
  4. Crete, NE 38 mi (62 km)
  5. Fairbury, NE 39 mi (63 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: 40.5314, -97.5964.