U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143527 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Hays, KS

NOAA weather station Hays 1 S (USC00143527), Kansas · elevation 2010 ft (613 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season171 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Hays, KSSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 29 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 171 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 25First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Hays, KSSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 29 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 171 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 25First 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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 8September 29
50% (typical)April 25October 15
90% (likely)April 12October 26
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
171 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 24

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 27 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 16 (1 day later). Frost-free season 171 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 Hays: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 8, 20% May 4, 30% May 1, 40% April 28, 50% April 25, 60% April 23, 70% April 20, 80% April 16, 90% April 12. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 26, 2023 May 1, 2024 April 13, 2025 April 15, 2026 April 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 8Apr 25Apr 122021: April 222022: April 262023: May 12024: April 132025: April 152026: April 19Fall at Hays: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 29, 20% October 5, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 22, 90% October 26. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 29Oct 15Oct 262021: October 162022: October 172023: October 72024: 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 22October 16
2022April 26October 17
2023May 1October 7
2024April 13October 16
2025April 15October 30
2026April 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Hays for finishing the harvest is September 29, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. Gardeners aiming to complete tender-crop picking should target this date to keep risk low.

The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is May 8, which carries a 10 % chance of a light frost occurring later. The 50 % light-frost dates—April 25 in spring and October 15 in fall—indicate the points at which a light frost is equally likely to happen before or after, providing a median reference for timing decisions.

Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F because they can kill plant tissue that survives a light frost; the 50 % hard-frost dates are April 15 and October 24.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 8" 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 29" 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 Hays, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Plainville, KS — 27 mi; 2 — Russell, KS — 28 mi; 3 — Wakeeney, KS — 31 mi; 4 — Great Bend, KS — 44 mi; 5 — Wilson Lake, KS — 46 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Plainville, KS — 27 mi12. Russell, KS — 28 mi23. Wakeeney, KS — 31 mi34. Great Bend, KS — 44 mi45. Wilson Lake, KS — 46 mi5
  1. Plainville, KS 27 mi (43 km)
  2. Russell, KS 28 mi (46 km)
  3. Wakeeney, KS 31 mi (50 km)
  4. Great Bend, KS 44 mi (71 km)
  5. Wilson Lake, KS 46 mi (74 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: 38.8586, -99.3358.