U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00334551 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Lima, OH

NOAA weather station Lima WWTP (USC00334551), Ohio · elevation 850 ft (259 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 11only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season182 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Lima, OHSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 24Frost season at Lima, OHSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 11 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 24
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 11October 10
50% (typical)April 24October 24
90% (likely)April 12November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
182 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 27 (3 days later). Frost-free season 184 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 Lima: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 11, 20% May 4, 30% April 30, 40% April 28, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 19, 80% April 16, 90% April 12. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 10, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 2.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 11Apr 24Apr 122021: May 102022: April 282023: April 262024: April 252025: April 172026: May 2Fall at Lima: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 10, 20% October 15, 30% October 19, 40% October 21, 50% October 24, 60% October 26, 70% October 29, 80% November 1, 90% November 5. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 27, 2022 October 20, 2023 October 30, 2024 November 2, 2025 November 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 10Oct 24Nov 52021: October 272022: October 202023: October 302024: November 22025: November 9
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 10October 27
2022April 28October 20
2023April 26October 30
2024April 25November 2
2025April 17November 9
2026May 2season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 11 is the cautious spring date for Lima; it carries only a 10 % chance that a light frost will occur later, allowing a gardener to set out tender crops with little risk. The early spring date of April 12 carries a 90 % chance of frost and is a gamble for those willing to start earlier.

The 50% date is April 24, meaning there is a 50 % chance of a light frost later than this date, and the 50% date is October 24, meaning there is a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier than this date. For a cautious fall plan the October 10 date has a 10 % chance of a frost earlier, so harvesting tender crops can be finished safely. The 50% hard-frost dates are April 14 and November 3; hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 11" 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 10" 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 Lima, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Pandora, OH — 18 mi; 2 — Celina, OH — 24 mi; 3 — Findlay, OH — 31 mi; 4 — Sidney, OH — 31 mi; 5 — Bellefontaine, OH — 32 mi.OHIN25 mi · 40 km1. Pandora, OH — 18 mi12. Celina, OH — 24 mi23. Findlay, OH — 31 mi34. Sidney, OH — 31 mi45. Bellefontaine, OH — 32 mi5
  1. Pandora, OH 18 mi (28 km)
  2. Celina, OH 24 mi (38 km)
  3. Findlay, OH 31 mi (50 km)
  4. Sidney, OH 31 mi (51 km)
  5. Bellefontaine, OH 32 mi (51 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: 40.7247, -84.1294.