U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00415247 · Texas

Frost Dates for Lipscomb, TX

NOAA weather station Lipscomb (USC00415247), Texas · elevation 2390 ft (729 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season170 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Lipscomb, TXSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 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: 170 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 27First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Lipscomb, TXSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 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: 170 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 27First 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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 8September 29
50% (typical)April 27October 15
90% (likely)April 12October 26
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
170 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 24

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 30 (3 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18 (3 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 Lipscomb: 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 30, 50% April 27, 60% April 24, 70% April 20, 80% April 17, 90% April 12. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 20, 2022 April 25.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 8Apr 27Apr 122021: April 202022: April 25Fall at Lipscomb: 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 13, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 20, 80% October 22, 90% October 26. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 15, 2022 October 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 29Oct 15Oct 262021: October 152022: October 17
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 20October 15
2022April 25October 17
2023incomplete recordno data
2024no datano data
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in Lipscomb is September 29, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived.

For tender crops, gardeners follow the cautious spring date of May 8 and the cautious fall date of September 29; the earlier dates—April 12 in spring and October 26 in fall—carry a 90 % chance of frost and are considered gambles. The 50% dates, April 27 for spring and October 15 for fall, mark the point where a light frost is equally likely.

Hard frosts, recorded at 28 °F, are more damaging than light frosts, so the median hard-frost dates of April 16 and October 24 are noted as separate risk points. The interval between the two 32°F 50% dates spans 170 days, based on 29 years of data.

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 Lipscomb, TXNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Gage, OK — 28 mi; 2 — Gate, OK — 44 mi; 3 — Mutual, OK — 61 mi; 4 — near Pampa, TX — 61 mi; 5 — near Shamrock, TX — 71 mi.OKTX50 mi · 80 km1. Gage, OK — 28 mi12. Gate, OK — 44 mi23. Mutual, OK — 61 mi34. near Pampa, TX — 61 mi45. near Shamrock, TX — 71 mi5
  1. Gage, OK 28 mi (45 km)
  2. Gate, OK 44 mi (71 km)
  3. Mutual, OK 61 mi (99 km)
  4. near Pampa, TX 61 mi (99 km)
  5. near Shamrock, TX 71 mi (114 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: 36.2361, -100.2708.