U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00325754 · North Dakota

Frost Dates for McLeod, ND

NOAA weather station McLeod 3 E (USC00325754), North Dakota · elevation 1075 ft (328 m) · hardiness zone 4a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 19only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season145 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone4acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at McLeod, NDSpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before September 29 in half of the years, before October 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 145 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Sep 29Frost season at McLeod, NDSpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 6 in half of the years, after May 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before September 29 in half of the years, before October 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 145 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 6First frost ~Sep 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)May 19September 18
50% (typical)May 6September 29
90% (likely)April 24October 11
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
145 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 8

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 7 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 4 (5 days later). Frost-free season 147 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 McLeod: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 19, 20% May 15, 30% May 11, 40% May 9, 50% May 6, 60% May 3, 70% May 1, 80% April 28, 90% April 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 28, 2022 April 28, 2023 May 2, 2024 April 24, 2025 April 30, 2026 May 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 19May 6Apr 242021: May 282022: April 282023: May 22024: April 242025: April 302026: May 20Fall at McLeod: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 18, 20% September 22, 30% September 25, 40% September 27, 50% September 29, 60% October 1, 70% October 4, 80% October 6, 90% October 11. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 October 7, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 15, 2025 October 22.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 18Sep 29Oct 112021: October 162022: October 72023: October 72024: October 152025: October 22
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 28October 16
2022April 28October 7
2023May 2October 7
2024April 24October 15
2025April 30October 22
2026May 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 145 days between the 50% dates in McLeod, North Dakota, frame the period when light frosts are less likely. May 6 marks the 50% spring light-frost date, a 50% chance of a frost later, and September 29 marks the 50% fall light-frost date, a 50% chance of a frost earlier. These median points give gardeners a reference for the central part of the season.

For a cautious plan, gardeners use the May 19 spring date, which carries only a 10% chance that a light frost will occur later, and the September 18 fall date, which carries only a 10% chance that a light frost has already arrived. Planting before April 24 in spring or keeping tender crops past October 11 would be considerably riskier.

A hard frost at 28 °F, marked by the April 29 and October 8 50% dates, can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, making it a more critical threshold for tender crops.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 19" 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 18" 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 McLeod, NDNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Forman, ND — 30 mi; 2 — near Casselton, ND — 34 mi; 3 — Victor, SD — 38 mi; 4 — near Fargo, ND — 42 mi; 5 — Rothsay, MN — 46 mi.NDMN25 mi · 40 km1. Forman, ND — 30 mi12. near Casselton, ND — 34 mi23. Victor, SD — 38 mi34. near Fargo, ND — 42 mi45. Rothsay, MN — 46 mi5
  1. Forman, ND 30 mi (48 km)
  2. near Casselton, ND 34 mi (54 km)
  3. Victor, SD 38 mi (61 km)
  4. near Fargo, ND 42 mi (68 km)
  5. Rothsay, MN 46 mi (74 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 4a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 46.3911, -97.2392.