U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00234226 · Missouri

Frost Dates for Jackson, MO

NOAA weather station Jackson (USC00234226), Missouri · elevation 440 ft (134 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 22only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season202 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Jackson, MOSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 7 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 7First frost ~Oct 29Frost season at Jackson, MOSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 7 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 202 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 7First frost ~Oct 29
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 22October 16
50% (typical)April 7October 29
90% (likely)March 24November 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
202 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 7 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 30 (1 day later). Frost-free season 205 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 Jackson: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 22, 20% April 17, 30% April 14, 40% April 11, 50% April 7, 60% April 4, 70% April 1, 80% March 29, 90% March 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2024 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 22Apr 7Mar 242021: April 232024: March 29Fall at Jackson: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 29, 60% October 31, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 4.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Oct 29Nov 92021: November 4
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 23November 4
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024March 29incomplete record
2025incomplete recordno data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date, March 24, in Jackson carries a 90% chance of a frost later that season, making it a gamble for growers. The later spring date, April 22, is the cautious option, with only a 10% chance of frost after that day.

For a gardener, the 50% spring date is April 7 and the 50% fall date is October 29; each represents an even chance of a light frost occurring. In the fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 16, when there is only a 10% chance a frost has arrived earlier. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, so the 50% hard-frost dates, March 29 and November 5, are watched more closely.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 22" 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 16" 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 Jackson, MONumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cape Girardeau, MO — 12 mi; 2 — Perryville, MO — 28 mi; 3 — Sikeston, MO — 35 mi; 4 — Carbondale, IL — 37 mi; 5 — Fredericktown, MO — 38 mi.MOKY25 mi · 40 km1. Cape Girardeau, MO — 12 mi12. Perryville, MO — 28 mi23. Sikeston, MO — 35 mi34. Carbondale, IL — 37 mi45. Fredericktown, MO — 38 mi5
  1. Cape Girardeau, MO 12 mi (19 km)
  2. Perryville, MO 28 mi (45 km)
  3. Sikeston, MO 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Carbondale, IL 37 mi (59 km)
  5. Fredericktown, MO 38 mi (61 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.3781, -89.6678.