U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00338830 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Waverly, OH

NOAA weather station Waverly (USC00338830), Ohio · elevation 572 ft (174 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season182 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Waverly, OHSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 22Frost season at Waverly, OHSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 22
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 9October 6
50% (typical)April 21October 22
90% (likely)April 4November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
182 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (3 days 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 Waverly: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 9, 20% May 3, 30% April 30, 40% April 25, 50% April 21, 60% April 18, 70% April 14, 80% April 10, 90% April 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 22, 2023 April 26, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 9Apr 21Apr 42021: April 232022: April 222023: April 262024: April 222025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Waverly: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 12, 30% October 16, 40% October 19, 50% October 22, 60% October 25, 70% October 28, 80% October 31, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 22Nov 42021: November 32022: October 82023: 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
2021April 23November 3
2022April 22October 8
2023April 26October 31
2024April 22October 17
2025April 17October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in Waverly is October 6, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived.

For light frosts, the 50% date in spring is April 21, which means a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date, and the 50% date in fall is October 22, indicating a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. Gardeners following a cautious plan therefore use May 9 as the spring date for setting out tender crops and October 6 as the fall date for completing the harvest.

The 50% hard-frost dates are April 9 and November 1; the former signals a 50 % chance of a hard frost later than that day, the latter a 50 % chance of a hard frost earlier than that day. Hard frosts at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than light frosts at 32 °F, so they are a higher risk to consider.

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 6" 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 Waverly, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Sciotodale, OH — 25 mi; 2 — Circleville, OH — 34 mi; 3 — Hillsboro, OH — 35 mi; 4 — Gallipolis, OH — 47 mi; 5 — South Point, OH — 52 mi.OHKYWV25 mi · 40 km1. near Sciotodale, OH — 25 mi12. Circleville, OH — 34 mi23. Hillsboro, OH — 35 mi34. Gallipolis, OH — 47 mi45. South Point, OH — 52 mi5
  1. near Sciotodale, OH 25 mi (40 km)
  2. Circleville, OH 34 mi (56 km)
  3. Hillsboro, OH 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Gallipolis, OH 47 mi (76 km)
  5. South Point, OH 52 mi (83 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: 39.1114, -82.9797.