U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00335747 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Newark, OH

NOAA weather station Newark Water Works (USC00335747), Ohio · elevation 835 ft (255 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 17only 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 season167 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Newark, OHSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 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: 167 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 16Frost season at Newark, OHSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 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: 167 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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 17October 1
50% (typical)April 29October 16
90% (likely)April 17October 28
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
167 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 19
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 27

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 28 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (3 days later). Frost-free season 172 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 Newark: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 17, 20% May 10, 30% May 5, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 26, 70% April 24, 80% April 21, 90% April 17. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 14, 2022 April 29, 2023 April 28, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 19, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 17Apr 29Apr 172021: May 142022: April 292023: April 282024: April 262025: April 192026: May 4Fall at Newark: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 6, 30% October 10, 40% October 13, 50% October 16, 60% October 18, 70% October 21, 80% October 23, 90% October 28. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 16Oct 282021: November 32022: October 82023: October 232024: October 172025: October 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
2021May 14November 3
2022April 29October 8
2023April 28October 23
2024April 26October 17
2025April 19October 25
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 17 in Newark carries a 90% chance of a later frost, so planting then is a gamble. By contrast, the cautious spring date of May 17 has only a 10% chance that a frost will arrive later, offering a much lower risk for tender seedlings.

The 50% light-frost dates are April 29 in spring and October 16 in fall; on each of those days there is an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). The 50% hard-frost dates are April 19 and October 27, marking the points at which a hard frost is as likely as not.

For a careful plan, tender crops should be set out after the cautious spring date of May 17 and harvested before the cautious fall date of October 1, each of which carries only a 10% chance of a light frost. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it a more severe threat.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 17" 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 1" 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 Newark, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Centerburg, OH — 19 mi; 2 — Danville, OH — 25 mi; 3 — near Columbus, OH — 26 mi; 4 — New Lexington, OH — 27 mi; 5 — Westerville, OH — 28 mi.OHWV25 mi · 40 km1. Centerburg, OH — 19 mi12. Danville, OH — 25 mi23. near Columbus, OH — 26 mi34. New Lexington, OH — 27 mi45. Westerville, OH — 28 mi5
  1. Centerburg, OH 19 mi (31 km)
  2. Danville, OH 25 mi (40 km)
  3. near Columbus, OH 26 mi (41 km)
  4. New Lexington, OH 27 mi (43 km)
  5. Westerville, OH 28 mi (45 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.0875, -82.4128.