U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00258133 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Stapleton, NE

NOAA weather station Stapleton 5 W (USC00258133), Nebraska · elevation 3022 ft (921 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season146 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Stapleton, NESpring: a frost after April 26 in 9 years out of 10, after May 8 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 20 in 1 year out of 10, before October 3 in half of the years, before October 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 146 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 8First frost ~Oct 3Frost season at Stapleton, NESpring: a frost after April 26 in 9 years out of 10, after May 8 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 20 in 1 year out of 10, before October 3 in half of the years, before October 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 146 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 8First frost ~Oct 3
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 24September 20
50% (typical)May 8October 3
90% (likely)April 26October 15
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
146 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 30
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 12

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 8 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 6 (3 days later). Frost-free season 149 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 Stapleton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 24, 20% May 18, 30% May 14, 40% May 11, 50% May 8, 60% May 6, 70% May 3, 80% April 30, 90% April 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 3, 2024 May 5, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 24May 8Apr 262021: May 132022: May 232023: May 32024: May 52026: May 3Fall at Stapleton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 20, 20% September 25, 30% September 28, 40% October 1, 50% October 3, 60% October 5, 70% October 8, 80% October 11, 90% October 15. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 15, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 14, 2025 October 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 20Oct 3Oct 152021: October 152022: October 172023: October 72024: October 142025: October 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
2021May 13October 15
2022May 23October 17
2023May 3October 7
2024May 5October 14
2025incomplete recordOctober 19
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 26 in Stapleton is a gamble, because there is a 90 % chance of a light frost later than that date. The cautious spring date for tender crops is May 24, when only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains. The 50% date, May 8, marks a point where the chance of a frost later than this date is fifty percent. In the fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 20, with a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived. The 50% date, October 3, carries a fifty-percent chance of a frost earlier than this date.

The median hard-frost dates are April 30 in spring and October 12 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F. Between the two 32 °F 50% dates there are 146 days, based on thirty years of record.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 24" 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 20" 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 Stapleton, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — North Platte (Airport), NE — 24 mi; 2 — near North Platte, NE — 29 mi; 3 — Hershey, NE — 31 mi; 4 — Anselmo, NE — 37 mi; 5 — Gothenburg, NE — 43 mi.NE25 mi · 40 km1. North Platte (Airport), NE — 24 mi12. near North Platte, NE — 29 mi23. Hershey, NE — 31 mi34. Anselmo, NE — 37 mi45. Gothenburg, NE — 43 mi5
  1. North Platte (Airport), NE 24 mi (38 km)
  2. near North Platte, NE 29 mi (46 km)
  3. Hershey, NE 31 mi (50 km)
  4. Anselmo, NE 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Gothenburg, NE 43 mi (69 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: 41.4581, -100.5986.