U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00257070 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Red Cloud, NE

NOAA weather station Red Cloud (USC00257070), Nebraska · elevation 1732 ft (528 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 14only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season157 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Red Cloud, NESpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 22 in 1 year out of 10, before October 5 in half of the years, before October 19 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 157 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 5Frost season at Red Cloud, NESpring: a frost after April 19 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 22 in 1 year out of 10, before October 5 in half of the years, before October 19 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 157 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 5
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 14September 22
50% (typical)May 1October 5
90% (likely)April 19October 19
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
157 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 22
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 16

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 2 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 9 (4 days later). Frost-free season 159 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 Red Cloud: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 14, 20% May 9, 30% May 6, 40% May 4, 50% May 1, 60% April 30, 70% April 27, 80% April 24, 90% April 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 May 22, 2023 May 4, 2024 April 30.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 14May 1Apr 192021: April 222022: May 222023: May 42024: April 30Fall at Red Cloud: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 22, 20% September 28, 30% October 1, 40% October 3, 50% October 5, 60% October 9, 70% October 12, 80% October 15, 90% October 19. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 16, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 14.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Sep 22Oct 5Oct 192021: October 142022: October 162023: October 72024: October 14
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 22October 14
2022May 22October 16
2023May 4October 7
2024April 30October 14
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Red Cloud for finishing the harvest is September 22, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived. This date gives gardeners a high level of confidence that tender harvests can be completed before frost damage.

For tender crops the cautious spring date is May 14, the point with a 10 % chance of a later light frost; planting earlier on April 19 carries a 90 % chance and is a gamble. May 1 marks the point where a light frost has a 50 % chance of occurring later, while October 5 marks the point where a light frost has a 50 % chance of occurring earlier.

Hard frosts at 28 °F are more damaging than light frosts at 32 °F, so the 50 % hard-frost dates—April 22 in spring and October 16 in fall—help gauge the risk of severe cold.

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 September 22" 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 Red Cloud, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Franklin, NE — 22 mi; 2 — Superior, NE — 24 mi; 3 — Smith Center, KS — 26 mi; 4 — Minden, NE — 37 mi; 5 — Clay Center, NE — 38 mi.NEKS25 mi · 40 km1. near Franklin, NE — 22 mi12. Superior, NE — 24 mi23. Smith Center, KS — 26 mi34. Minden, NE — 37 mi45. Clay Center, NE — 38 mi5
  1. near Franklin, NE 22 mi (36 km)
  2. Superior, NE 24 mi (39 km)
  3. Smith Center, KS 26 mi (42 km)
  4. Minden, NE 37 mi (59 km)
  5. Clay Center, NE 38 mi (61 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: 40.0978, -98.5197.