U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00129557 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Whitestown, IN

NOAA weather station Whitestown (USC00129557), Indiana · elevation 941 ft (287 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 6only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season180 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Whitestown, INSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Whitestown, INSpring: a frost after April 6 in 9 years out of 10, after April 21 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 21First frost ~Oct 20
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 6October 5
50% (typical)April 21October 20
90% (likely)April 6November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
180 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 22 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (2 days later). Frost-free season 183 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 Whitestown: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 6, 20% May 1, 30% April 27, 40% April 24, 50% April 21, 60% April 18, 70% April 16, 80% April 12, 90% April 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 April 27, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 16.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 6Apr 21Apr 62022: April 272023: April 242024: April 222025: April 16Fall at Whitestown: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 5, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 22, 70% October 25, 80% October 28, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 17, 2023 October 11, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 5Oct 20Nov 12022: October 172023: October 112024: October 172025: October 23
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
2021incomplete recordincomplete record
2022April 27October 17
2023April 24October 11
2024April 22October 17
2025April 16October 23
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 180 days between the 32°F 50% dates—April 21 and October 20—contain the period when light frosts are less likely than not, giving gardeners a clear window for most tender work. The 50% dates themselves mean that a light frost is as probable later as earlier, so planting or harvesting should be timed with the surrounding risk levels.

For a cautious plan, the spring light-frost date with only a 10 % chance of frost later than it is May 6, which gardeners use to set out tender crops. In fall, the 10 % chance of frost earlier than the date is October 5, marking the cautious deadline for finishing tender harvests. Dates with a 90 % chance—April 6 and November 1—are considered gambles for those activities.

Hard-frost dates (28 °F) are April 9 in spring and October 31 in fall; a hard frost can damage plants that survive a light frost, so its timing matters more for protecting vulnerable crops.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 6" 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 5" 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 Whitestown, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Indianapolis, IN — 20 mi; 2 — Tipton, IN — 20 mi; 3 — near Frankfort, IN — 22 mi; 4 — Kokomo, IN — 33 mi; 5 — Anderson, IN — 35 mi.OHIL25 mi · 40 km1. Indianapolis, IN — 20 mi12. Tipton, IN — 20 mi23. near Frankfort, IN — 22 mi34. Kokomo, IN — 33 mi45. Anderson, IN — 35 mi5
  1. Indianapolis, IN 20 mi (33 km)
  2. Tipton, IN 20 mi (33 km)
  3. near Frankfort, IN 22 mi (36 km)
  4. Kokomo, IN 33 mi (54 km)
  5. Anderson, IN 35 mi (56 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: 39.9961, -86.3542.