U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00339361 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Xenia, OH

NOAA weather station Xenia 6 SSE (USC00339361), Ohio · elevation 997 ft (304 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 4only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season188 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Xenia, OHSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 188 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 24Frost season at Xenia, OHSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 188 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 24
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 4October 11
50% (typical)April 18October 24
90% (likely)April 3November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
188 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 5
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (1 day later). Frost-free season 190 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 Xenia: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 4, 20% April 29, 30% April 24, 40% April 21, 50% April 18, 60% April 15, 70% April 11, 80% April 7, 90% April 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 April 16, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 4Apr 18Apr 32022: April 162023: April 232024: April 232025: April 182026: May 3Fall at Xenia: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 15, 30% October 19, 40% October 22, 50% October 24, 60% October 26, 70% October 29, 80% November 1, 90% November 5. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 27, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 11, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 24Nov 52021: October 272022: October 82023: October 112024: October 162025: 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
2021incomplete recordOctober 27
2022April 16October 8
2023April 23October 11
2024April 23October 16
2025April 18October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Xenia for finishing the harvest is October 11, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived. Gardeners who wait until that date can be fairly confident that tender crops will not yet be exposed to a frost, while planting after the 90 % date of November 5 would be a gamble.

In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 4, the 10 % chance date, and the 50 % date is April 18, marking an even chance of a light frost later than that point. The fall 50 % date is October 24, indicating an equal chance of a light frost earlier than that day. The hard-frost 50 % dates are April 5 in spring and November 3 in fall; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue that survives a light frost, so these dates signal a more severe cold risk.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 4" 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 11" 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 Xenia, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dayton MCD, OH — 19 mi; 2 — Franklin, OH — 22 mi; 3 — Springfield, OH — 26 mi; 4 — Dayton, OH — 27 mi; 5 — Hillsboro, OH — 30 mi.OHIN25 mi · 40 km1. Dayton MCD, OH — 19 mi12. Franklin, OH — 22 mi23. Springfield, OH — 26 mi34. Dayton, OH — 27 mi45. Hillsboro, OH — 30 mi5
  1. Dayton MCD, OH 19 mi (30 km)
  2. Franklin, OH 22 mi (36 km)
  3. Springfield, OH 26 mi (42 km)
  4. Dayton, OH 27 mi (43 km)
  5. Hillsboro, OH 30 mi (49 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: 39.6042, -83.9072.