U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00125174 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Lowell, IN

NOAA weather station Lowell (USC00125174), Indiana · elevation 665 ft (203 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 14only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season171 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Lowell, INSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 16 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 171 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 16Frost season at Lowell, INSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 16 in half of the years, before October 28 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 171 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 16
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 14October 3
50% (typical)April 29October 16
90% (likely)April 14October 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
171 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 27 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (3 days later). Frost-free season 174 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 Lowell: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 14, 20% May 8, 30% May 4, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 25, 70% April 22, 80% April 18, 90% April 14. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 27, 2026 May 7.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 14Apr 29Apr 142021: May 132023: April 262024: April 252025: April 272026: May 7Fall at Lowell: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 8, 30% October 11, 40% October 14, 50% October 16, 60% October 19, 70% October 21, 80% October 24, 90% October 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 1, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 10, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 16Oct 282021: November 12022: October 82023: October 102024: October 172025: 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 13November 1
2022incomplete recordOctober 8
2023April 26October 10
2024April 25October 17
2025April 27October 24
2026May 7season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 14 is the cautious spring date, allowing a gardener to set out tender crops with only a 10 % chance of a later light frost. By contrast, April 14 carries a 90 % chance, making an earlier planting a gamble. The spring 50 % date, April 29, carries a 50 % chance of a light frost later, while the hard-frost 50 % date, April 16, marks the point where there is an even chance of a 28 °F frost.

In the fall, October 3 is the cautious date, giving a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier and signalling when to finish harvesting tender crops. October 28 has a 90 % chance, so counting on crops this late is risky. The fall 50 % date, October 16, carries a 50 % chance of a light frost earlier, and the hard-frost 50 % date, October 26, shows the even-chance point for a 28 °F frost. A hard frost matters more because 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 14" 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 Lowell, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Park Forest, IL — 21 mi; 2 — near Kankakee, IL — 26 mi; 3 — Rensselaer, IN — 27 mi; 4 — Wanatah, IN — 28 mi; 5 — Indiana Dunes NL, IN — 31 mi.ILINMI25 mi · 40 km1. Park Forest, IL — 21 mi12. near Kankakee, IL — 26 mi23. Rensselaer, IN — 27 mi34. Wanatah, IN — 28 mi45. Indiana Dunes NL, IN — 31 mi5
  1. Park Forest, IL 21 mi (34 km)
  2. near Kankakee, IL 26 mi (42 km)
  3. Rensselaer, IN 27 mi (43 km)
  4. Wanatah, IN 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Indiana Dunes NL, IN 31 mi (49 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.2647, -87.4178.