U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00236745 · Missouri

Frost Dates for Pleasant Hill, MO

NOAA weather station Pleasant Hill WFO (USC00236745), Missouri · elevation 1000 ft (305 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 23only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season204 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Pleasant Hill, MOSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 204 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Oct 29Frost season at Pleasant Hill, MOSpring: a frost after March 24 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 12 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 204 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Oct 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 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 23October 16
50% (typical)April 8October 29
90% (likely)March 24November 12
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
204 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 29
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 8 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 30 (1 day later). Frost-free season 204 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 Pleasant Hill: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 23, 20% April 18, 30% April 13, 40% April 10, 50% April 8, 60% April 5, 70% April 2, 80% March 31, 90% March 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 19, 2023 April 23, 2024 March 27, 2025 April 8, 2026 March 28.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 23Apr 8Mar 242021: April 222022: April 192023: April 232024: March 272025: April 82026: March 28Fall at Pleasant Hill: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 20, 30% October 24, 40% October 27, 50% October 29, 60% November 1, 70% November 3, 80% November 6, 90% November 12. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 18, 2023 October 28, 2024 November 22, 2025 November 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Oct 29Nov 122021: November 32022: October 182023: October 282024: November 222025: November 2
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 22November 3
2022April 19October 18
2023April 23October 28
2024March 27November 22
2025April 8November 2
2026March 28season not over yet

What these dates mean

204 days between the 50% dates in Pleasant Hill frame the period when a light frost is less likely than not, giving gardeners a central window for planting. The 50% date for light frost in spring is April 8 and the 50% date for light frost in fall is October 29; these dates are not frost dates but the points at which the chance of a frost later (spring) or earlier (fall) is fifty percent.

Gardeners who prefer a cautious approach would aim to set out tender crops after the April 23 light-frost date, which carries only a ten percent chance of a later frost, and would finish harvesting tender crops before the October 16 light-frost date, which has only a ten percent chance of an earlier frost.

The hard-frost median dates are March 29 in spring and November 7 in fall, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage or kill plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F, making its timing more critical.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 23" 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 16" 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 Pleasant Hill, MONumbered nearest stations: 1 — Elm, MO — 13 mi; 2 — Independence, MO — 19 mi; 3 — near Kansas City, MO — 28 mi; 4 — Higginsville, MO — 35 mi; 5 — Butler, MO — 39 mi.MOKS25 mi · 40 km1. Elm, MO — 13 mi12. Independence, MO — 19 mi23. near Kansas City, MO — 28 mi34. Higginsville, MO — 35 mi45. Butler, MO — 39 mi5
  1. Elm, MO 13 mi (21 km)
  2. Independence, MO 19 mi (30 km)
  3. near Kansas City, MO 28 mi (45 km)
  4. Higginsville, MO 35 mi (56 km)
  5. Butler, MO 39 mi (62 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: 38.81, -94.2647.