U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00023185 · Nevada

Frost Dates near Reno, NV

NOAA weather station Reno Tahoe International Airport (USW00023185), Nevada · elevation 4410 ft (1344 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

Reno is the nearest town to the station (3.9 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 5only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season184 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Reno, NVSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 184 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 23Frost season near Reno, NVSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 20 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 184 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 20First frost ~Oct 23
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 5October 11
50% (typical)April 20October 23
90% (likely)April 6November 3
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
184 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 3
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 2

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 20 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 184 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 near Reno: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 5, 20% April 30, 30% April 26, 40% April 23, 50% April 20, 60% April 17, 70% April 14, 80% April 11, 90% April 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 26, 2022 May 11, 2023 April 19, 2024 April 8, 2025 April 5, 2026 April 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 5Apr 20Apr 62021: April 262022: May 112023: April 192024: April 82025: April 52026: April 18Fall near Reno: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 15, 30% October 18, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 26, 70% October 29, 80% November 1, 90% November 3. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 12, 2022 October 23, 2023 October 27, 2024 October 18, 2025 November 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 23Nov 32021: October 122022: October 232023: October 272024: October 182025: November 19
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 26October 12
2022May 11October 23
2023April 19October 27
2024April 8October 18
2025April 5November 19
2026April 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 5 marks the cautious spring date in the Reno area, offering a gardener a 10% chance of a light frost later and therefore the point at which tender crops can be set out.

The median 32°F dates are April 20 in spring and October 23 in fall; each represents a 50% chance of a light frost occurring on either side of the date, giving a clear reference for when frost risk is evenly balanced. For the fall season, October 11 is the cautious date, with only a 10% chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, so it signals when tender crops should be finished.

Hard frost at 28°F is more damaging than a light frost, and the 50% hard-frost dates are April 3 for spring and November 2 for fall, indicating when there is an even chance of such severe freezing.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 5" 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 11" 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 Reno, NVNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Sparks, NV — 5 mi; 2 — Virginia City, NV — 14 mi; 3 — Tahoe City, CA — 30 mi; 4 — Minden, NV — 37 mi; 5 — Portola, CA — 43 mi.CANV25 mi · 40 km1. Sparks, NV — 5 mi12. Virginia City, NV — 14 mi23. Tahoe City, CA — 30 mi34. Minden, NV — 37 mi45. Portola, CA — 43 mi5
  1. Sparks, NV 5 mi (9 km)
  2. Virginia City, NV 14 mi (22 km)
  3. Tahoe City, CA 30 mi (48 km)
  4. Minden, NV 37 mi (59 km)
  5. Portola, CA 43 mi (70 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 39.4839, -119.7711.