U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00124181 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Huntington, IN

NOAA weather station Huntington (USC00124181), Indiana · elevation 725 ft (221 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 16only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season166 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Huntington, INSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 14 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 166 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 14Frost season at Huntington, INSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 16 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 14 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 166 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 14
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 16October 1
50% (typical)May 1October 14
90% (likely)April 17October 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
166 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 24

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 1 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (5 days 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 Huntington: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 16, 20% May 10, 30% May 7, 40% May 3, 50% May 1, 60% April 28, 70% April 24, 80% April 21, 90% April 17. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 16May 1Apr 172021: May 122022: April 282023: April 272024: April 262025: April 172026: May 4Fall at Huntington: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 5, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 14, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 23, 90% October 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 27, 2022 October 4, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 14Oct 282021: October 272022: October 42023: October 232024: October 162025: October 24
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 27
2022April 28October 4
2023April 27October 23
2024April 26October 16
2025April 17October 24
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 1 marks the cautious fall date in Huntington for finishing the harvest of tender crops, as there is only a 10 % chance of a light frost having arrived before that day.

In spring the 50% light-frost date is May 1, meaning a gardener has an even chance of experiencing a frost later than this day. The cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 16, when the risk of a later frost drops to 10 %; planting on April 17 would be a gamble with a 90 % chance of frost after that date. The 50% light-frost date in fall is October 14. The 50% hard-frost dates are April 20 in spring and October 24 in fall, indicating the median point at which temperatures reach 28 °F.

Because a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, it is considered the more critical threshold for protecting tender crops.

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 October 1" 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 Huntington, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Fort Wayne, IN — 17 mi; 2 — Bluffton, IN — 18 mi; 3 — Columbia City, IN — 20 mi; 4 — Marion, IN — 21 mi; 5 — Hartford City, IN — 31 mi.INOH25 mi · 40 km1. Fort Wayne, IN — 17 mi12. Bluffton, IN — 18 mi23. Columbia City, IN — 20 mi34. Marion, IN — 21 mi45. Hartford City, IN — 31 mi5
  1. Fort Wayne, IN 17 mi (28 km)
  2. Bluffton, IN 18 mi (29 km)
  3. Columbia City, IN 20 mi (32 km)
  4. Marion, IN 21 mi (33 km)
  5. Hartford City, IN 31 mi (50 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: 40.8556, -85.4981.