U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00128784 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Tipton, IN

NOAA weather station Tipton 5 SW (USC00128784), Indiana · elevation 890 ft (271 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season174 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Tipton, INSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 23 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 174 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 23First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Tipton, INSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 23 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 174 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 23First frost ~Oct 17
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 9October 3
50% (typical)April 23October 17
90% (likely)April 9November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
174 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 11
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 25 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (4 days later). Frost-free season 177 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 Tipton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 9, 20% May 4, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 23, 60% April 20, 70% April 18, 80% April 14, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 9, 2022 April 28, 2024 April 7, 2025 April 13, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 9Apr 23Apr 92021: May 92022: April 282024: April 72025: April 132026: May 3Fall at Tipton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 8, 30% October 12, 40% October 15, 50% October 17, 60% October 20, 70% October 22, 80% October 26, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 28, 2022 October 4, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 17Nov 12021: October 282022: October 42023: October 312024: October 172025: October 24
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 9October 28
2022April 28October 4
2023incomplete recordOctober 31
2024April 7October 17
2025April 13October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date of April 9 in Tipton carries a 90 % chance of a light frost later, making it a gamble for any sensitive plants. The cautious alternative is May 9, when only a 10 % chance of frost remains. The median light-frost dates are April 23 for spring and October 17 for fall; each represents an even-odds point, not a frost event. For a low-risk schedule, gardeners finish tender-crop harvest by October 3, the date with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived. Hard frosts, defined at 28 °F, reach a 50 % likelihood on April 11 in spring and October 28 in fall, and they can damage plants that survive a light frost, so they are a greater concern for winter survival.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 9" 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 3" 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 Tipton, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Kokomo, IN — 17 mi; 2 — Whitestown, IN — 20 mi; 3 — near Frankfort, IN — 22 mi; 4 — Anderson, IN — 22 mi; 5 — Marion, IN — 34 mi.OHIL25 mi · 40 km1. Kokomo, IN — 17 mi12. Whitestown, IN — 20 mi23. near Frankfort, IN — 22 mi34. Anderson, IN — 22 mi45. Marion, IN — 34 mi5
  1. Kokomo, IN 17 mi (27 km)
  2. Whitestown, IN 20 mi (33 km)
  3. near Frankfort, IN 22 mi (35 km)
  4. Anderson, IN 22 mi (36 km)
  5. Marion, IN 34 mi (55 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.2233, -86.1086.