U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143930 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Hutchinson, KS

NOAA weather station Hutchinson 10 SW (USC00143930), Kansas · elevation 1549 ft (472 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 2only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season181 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Hutchinson, KSSpring: a frost after April 5 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 19Frost season at Hutchinson, KSSpring: a frost after April 5 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 19
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 2October 3
50% (typical)April 20October 19
90% (likely)April 5October 31
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
181 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 20 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (2 days later). Frost-free season 183 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 Hutchinson: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 2, 20% April 29, 30% April 26, 40% April 23, 50% April 20, 60% April 17, 70% April 14, 80% April 11, 90% April 5. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 12, 2025 April 15, 2026 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 2Apr 20Apr 52021: April 222022: April 262023: April 232024: April 122025: April 152026: April 20Fall at Hutchinson: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 19, 60% October 21, 70% October 24, 80% October 26, 90% October 31. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 30, 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 1Oct 3Oct 19Oct 312021: October 302022: 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 30
2022April 26October 17
2023April 23October 7
2024April 12October 16
2025April 15October 30
2026April 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 3 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in Hutchinson, because there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. The spring cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 2, when a light frost later than that date occurs with just a 10 % chance.

The 50 % light-frost dates—April 20 in spring and October 19 in fall—represent the point at which a frost is equally likely to occur later (spring) or earlier (fall); they are not themselves frost dates. For gardeners, the hard-frost median dates are April 10 and October 28, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F because it reaches lower temperatures through the season.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 2" 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 3" 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 Hutchinson, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Sterling, KS — 22 mi; 2 — Hudson, KS — 36 mi; 3 — Newton, KS — 37 mi; 4 — Wichita, KS — 37 mi; 5 — Pratt, KS — 44 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Sterling, KS — 22 mi12. Hudson, KS — 36 mi23. Newton, KS — 37 mi34. Wichita, KS — 37 mi45. Pratt, KS — 44 mi5
  1. Sterling, KS 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Hudson, KS 36 mi (58 km)
  3. Newton, KS 37 mi (60 km)
  4. Wichita, KS 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Pratt, KS 44 mi (72 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: 37.9311, -98.0297.