U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143218 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Great Bend, KS

NOAA weather station Great Bend 3 W (USC00143218), Kansas · elevation 1872 ft (571 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season172 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Great Bend, KSSpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 30 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Great Bend, KSSpring: a frost after April 10 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 30 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 27 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 15
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 7September 30
50% (typical)April 24October 15
90% (likely)April 10October 27
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
172 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 25

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 25 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 17 (2 days later). Frost-free season 174 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 Great Bend: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 7, 20% May 2, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 18, 80% April 15, 90% April 10. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2023 May 3, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 16.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 7Apr 24Apr 102021: April 222023: May 32024: April 212025: April 16Fall at Great Bend: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 30, 20% October 5, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 23, 90% October 27. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 12, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 15, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 30Oct 15Oct 272021: November 122022: October 172023: October 72024: October 152025: 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 22November 12
2022incomplete recordOctober 17
2023May 3October 7
2024April 21October 15
2025April 16October 30
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

May 7 is the cautious spring light-frost date for Great Bend; with only a 10 % chance of a frost later, it gives a gardener a reliable point to set out tender crops. April 24 is the 50 % date, meaning there is a 50 % chance of a light frost later than this date, while April 10 carries a 90 % chance and would be a gamble.

For the autumn season, September 30 is the cautious light-frost date; with only a 10 % chance of a frost earlier it provides a low-risk deadline to finish harvesting tender crops. October 15 is the 50 % date, indicating a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier than this date, and October 27 carries a 90 % chance and would be risky.

The median hard-frost dates are April 14 in spring and October 25 in fall; hard frost at 28 °F can injure or kill plants that survive the milder 32 °F light frost, so it represents a higher level of risk.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 7" 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 30" 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 Great Bend, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hudson, KS — 20 mi; 2 — Sterling, KS — 35 mi; 3 — Russell, KS — 36 mi; 4 — Hays, KS — 44 mi; 5 — Wilson Lake, KS — 46 mi.KS25 mi · 40 km1. Hudson, KS — 20 mi12. Sterling, KS — 35 mi23. Russell, KS — 36 mi34. Hays, KS — 44 mi45. Wilson Lake, KS — 46 mi5
  1. Hudson, KS 20 mi (32 km)
  2. Sterling, KS 35 mi (57 km)
  3. Russell, KS 36 mi (57 km)
  4. Hays, KS 44 mi (71 km)
  5. Wilson Lake, KS 46 mi (73 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: 38.3614, -98.8281.