U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00265191 · Nevada

Frost Dates for Minden, NV

NOAA weather station Minden (USC00265191), Nevada · elevation 4709 ft (1435 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter June 14only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 3050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season119 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Minden, NVSpring: a frost after May 8 in 9 years out of 10, after May 30 in half of the years, after June 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 9 in 1 year out of 10, before September 26 in half of the years, before October 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 119 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 30First frost ~Sep 26Frost season at Minden, NVSpring: a frost after May 8 in 9 years out of 10, after May 30 in half of the years, after June 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 9 in 1 year out of 10, before September 26 in half of the years, before October 9 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 119 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 30First frost ~Sep 26
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)June 14September 9
50% (typical)May 30September 26
90% (likely)May 8October 9
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
119 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 6
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 8

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 28 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost September 27 (1 day later). Frost-free season 121 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 Minden: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% June 14, 20% June 8, 30% June 4, 40% June 1, 50% May 30, 60% May 25, 70% May 21, 80% May 15, 90% May 8. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 June 11, 2022 May 21, 2023 June 20, 2024 May 9, 2025 May 23.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1Jun 14May 30May 82021: June 112022: May 212023: June 202024: May 92025: May 23Fall at Minden: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 9, 20% September 15, 30% September 19, 40% September 23, 50% September 26, 60% September 29, 70% October 1, 80% October 5, 90% October 9. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 September 29, 2022 October 14, 2023 September 22, 2024 August 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Sep 1Oct 1Sep 9Sep 26Oct 92021: September 292022: October 142023: September 222024: August 25
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
2021June 11September 29
2022May 21October 14
2023June 20September 22
2024May 9August 25
2025May 23incomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date, May 8, carries a 90% chance of a frost and is a gamble for growers in Minden. In contrast, the cautious spring date is June 14, when only a 10% chance of a frost remains.

The 50% date is May 30, which represents a 50% chance of a frost later than this date, and the 50% date is September 26, indicating a 50% chance of a frost earlier than this date. For fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 9, with a 10% chance of a frost having arrived earlier. These probabilities derive from a 30-year record at the Minden station.

Hard frost at 28 °F can cause more severe damage than a light frost at 32 °F. The median hard-frost dates are May 6 in spring and October 8 in fall, emphasizing that temperatures dropping to 28 °F are a more critical threshold than the 32 °F light-frost level.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after June 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 September 9" 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 Minden, NVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Smith, NV — 23 mi; 2 — Tahoe City, CA — 25 mi; 3 — Virginia City, NV — 26 mi; 4 — near Reno, NV — 37 mi; 5 — Sparks, NV — 42 mi.NVCA25 mi · 40 km1. Smith, NV — 23 mi12. Tahoe City, CA — 25 mi23. Virginia City, NV — 26 mi34. near Reno, NV — 37 mi45. Sparks, NV — 42 mi5
  1. Smith, NV 23 mi (38 km)
  2. Tahoe City, CA 25 mi (40 km)
  3. Virginia City, NV 26 mi (41 km)
  4. near Reno, NV 37 mi (59 km)
  5. Sparks, NV 42 mi (67 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: 38.9547, -119.7758.