U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00128698 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Tell City, IN

NOAA weather station Tell City (USC00128698), Indiana · elevation 390 ft (119 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 23only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season208 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Tell City, INSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 208 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Nov 1Frost season at Tell City, INSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 208 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Nov 1
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 23October 18
50% (typical)April 5November 1
90% (likely)March 20November 18
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
208 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 24
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 13

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 3 (2 days later). Frost-free season 212 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 Tell City: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 23, 20% April 16, 30% April 11, 40% April 8, 50% April 5, 60% April 2, 70% March 31, 80% March 27, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 April 11, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 8, 2025 April 9, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 23Apr 5Mar 202021: April 42022: April 112023: April 252024: April 82025: April 92026: March 29Fall at Tell City: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 18, 20% October 24, 30% October 27, 40% October 30, 50% November 1, 60% November 3, 70% November 6, 80% November 11, 90% November 18. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 20, 2023 October 31, 2024 November 29, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 18Nov 1Nov 182021: November 32022: October 202023: October 312024: November 292025: November 10
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 4November 3
2022April 11October 20
2023April 25October 31
2024April 8November 29
2025April 9November 10
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 208 days between the 50% dates in Tell City—April 5 and November 1—define the span in which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not. On April 5 a light frost is as likely as not, and on November 1 the same even chance applies, giving a clear sense of median frost risk for the 30-year record.

The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is April 23, which carries a 10 % chance of a later frost. The cautious fall date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 18, which carries a 10 % chance of an earlier frost.

A hard frost at 28 °F, reflected by the median dates March 24 and November 13, can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F.

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 18" 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 Tell City, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Rough River Lake, KY — 27 mi; 2 — Boonville, IN — 28 mi; 3 — near French Lick, IN — 35 mi; 4 — Evansville, IN — 41 mi; 5 — Shoals, IN — 41 mi.IL25 mi · 40 km1. Rough River Lake, KY — 27 mi12. Boonville, IN — 28 mi23. near French Lick, IN — 35 mi34. Evansville, IN — 41 mi45. Shoals, IN — 41 mi5
  1. Rough River Lake, KY 27 mi (44 km)
  2. Boonville, IN 28 mi (45 km)
  3. near French Lick, IN 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Evansville, IN 41 mi (66 km)
  5. Shoals, IN 41 mi (67 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: 37.9531, -86.7747.