U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00147796 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Sterling, KS

NOAA weather station Sterling (USC00147796), Kansas · elevation 1636 ft (499 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 30only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season190 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Sterling, KSSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 30 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 190 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 15First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Sterling, KSSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 30 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 190 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 15First 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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 30October 7
50% (typical)April 15October 23
90% (likely)April 2November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
190 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 6
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (1 day later). Frost-free season 189 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 Sterling: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 30, 20% April 26, 30% April 22, 40% April 18, 50% April 15, 60% April 12, 70% April 10, 80% April 7, 90% April 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 15, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 5, 2025 April 8, 2026 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 30Apr 15Apr 22021: April 222022: April 152023: April 242024: April 52025: April 82026: April 20Fall at Sterling: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 7, 20% October 15, 30% October 19, 40% October 21, 50% October 23, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% November 1, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 13, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 7Oct 23Nov 42021: November 132022: October 172023: October 72024: October 162025: October 30
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 13
2022April 15October 17
2023April 24October 7
2024April 5October 16
2025April 8October 30
2026April 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 7 marks the cautious fall date in Sterling for finishing the harvest of tender crops, when there is only a 10 % chance a light frost has arrived. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 30, the point with a 10 % chance of a light frost later. The 50 % dates are April 15 and October 23; each marks the moment a light frost is equally likely to occur. The 90 % gamble dates are April 2 in spring and November 4 in fall, when a light frost is very likely. The 50 % hard-frost dates are April 6 and November 1, indicating the median point for a 28 °F frost. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so those dates are especially relevant for gardeners planning around the risks in this location.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 30" 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 7" 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 Sterling, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hutchinson, KS — 22 mi; 2 — Hudson, KS — 26 mi; 3 — Kanopolis Lake, KS — 30 mi; 4 — Great Bend, KS — 35 mi; 5 — Newton, KS — 48 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Hutchinson, KS — 22 mi12. Hudson, KS — 26 mi23. Kanopolis Lake, KS — 30 mi34. Great Bend, KS — 35 mi45. Newton, KS — 48 mi5
  1. Hutchinson, KS 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Hudson, KS 26 mi (41 km)
  3. Kanopolis Lake, KS 30 mi (49 km)
  4. Great Bend, KS 35 mi (57 km)
  5. Newton, KS 48 mi (78 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: 38.2144, -98.2078.