U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00253425 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Greeley, NE

NOAA weather station Greeley (USC00253425), Nebraska · elevation 2020 ft (616 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 17only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season149 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Greeley, NESpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 19 in 1 year out of 10, before October 2 in half of the years, before October 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 149 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 5First frost ~Oct 2Frost season at Greeley, NESpring: a frost after April 22 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 19 in 1 year out of 10, before October 2 in half of the years, before October 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 149 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 5First frost ~Oct 2
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 17September 19
50% (typical)May 5October 2
90% (likely)April 22October 14
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
149 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 11

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 6 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 5 (3 days later). Frost-free season 151 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 Greeley: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 17, 20% May 13, 30% May 10, 40% May 8, 50% May 5, 60% May 3, 70% May 1, 80% April 27, 90% April 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 3, 2024 April 24, 2025 May 3, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 17May 5Apr 222021: May 132022: May 232023: May 32024: April 242025: May 32026: May 3Fall at Greeley: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 19, 20% September 24, 30% September 27, 40% September 30, 50% October 2, 60% October 4, 70% October 7, 80% October 10, 90% October 14. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 17, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 8, 2025 October 22.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 19Oct 2Oct 142021: October 172022: October 82023: October 72024: October 82025: October 22
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 13October 17
2022May 23October 8
2023May 3October 7
2024April 24October 8
2025May 3October 22
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

September 19 is the cautious fall date to finish harvesting tender crops in Greeley. At that point there is only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived, making it a practical cut-off for crops that cannot tolerate frost.

The 50% light-frost dates are May 5 in spring and October 2 in fall; each marks an even-odds point for a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). The 50% hard-frost dates are April 25 and October 11, indicating an even chance of temperatures reaching 28 °F. A cautious plan would use May 17 for setting out tender crops in spring, since it carries only a 10% chance of a later frost, and September 19 for the final harvest in fall.

Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging to tender plants than light frosts at 32 °F, so the hard-frost dates are especially important for protecting sensitive growth.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 17" 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 19" 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 Greeley, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Albion, NE — 29 mi; 2 — Elgin, NE — 39 mi; 3 — Ravenna, NE — 41 mi; 4 — Grand Island, NE — 42 mi; 5 — Oakdale, NE — 46 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Albion, NE — 29 mi12. Elgin, NE — 39 mi23. Ravenna, NE — 41 mi34. Grand Island, NE — 42 mi45. Oakdale, NE — 46 mi5
  1. Albion, NE 29 mi (46 km)
  2. Elgin, NE 39 mi (62 km)
  3. Ravenna, NE 41 mi (66 km)
  4. Grand Island, NE 42 mi (68 km)
  5. Oakdale, NE 46 mi (74 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.5461, -98.5331.