U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00014852 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Youngstown, OH

NOAA weather station Youngstown Regional Airport (USW00014852), Ohio · elevation 1180 ft (360 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 20only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season167 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Youngstown, OHSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 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: 167 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 1First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Youngstown, OHSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after May 1 in half of the years, after May 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 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: 167 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 1First 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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 20October 1
50% (typical)May 1October 17
90% (likely)April 16November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
167 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 1 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (5 days later). Frost-free season 171 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 Youngstown: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 20, 20% May 15, 30% May 9, 40% May 4, 50% May 1, 60% April 28, 70% April 25, 80% April 21, 90% April 16. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 6, 2022 April 29, 2023 May 18, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 20May 1Apr 162021: May 62022: April 292023: May 182024: April 252025: April 172026: May 12Fall at Youngstown: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 6, 30% October 10, 40% October 14, 50% October 17, 60% October 21, 70% October 24, 80% October 28, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 16, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 17.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 17Nov 12021: November 32022: October 162023: October 232024: October 172025: October 17
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 6November 3
2022April 29October 16
2023May 18October 23
2024April 25October 17
2025April 17October 17
2026May 12season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 20 marks the cautious spring date for tender crops in Youngstown, giving a gardener enough confidence to set them out with only a 10 % chance of a later frost. The 50% light-frost date is May 1; it indicates an even chance of a frost occurring on either side of that day. The 90 % spring gamble date is April 16, when a frost is still very likely. The 50% hard-frost date is April 20, showing a fifty-fifty chance of temperatures dropping to 28 °F.

In the fall, October 1 is the cautious date for finishing tender crops, carrying only a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived. The median light-frost date is October 17, and the 90 % gamble date is November 1. The 50% hard-frost date for fall is November 1. A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost at 32 °F because it can kill plant tissue rather than merely chill it.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 20" 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 1" 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 Youngstown, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Warren, OH — 8 mi; 2 — Hiram, OH — 18 mi; 3 — Jamestown, PA — 20 mi; 4 — New Castle, PA — 23 mi; 5 — Dorset, OH — 30 mi.PAOHNY25 mi · 40 km1. Warren, OH — 8 mi12. Hiram, OH — 18 mi23. Jamestown, PA — 20 mi34. New Castle, PA — 23 mi45. Dorset, OH — 30 mi5
  1. Warren, OH 8 mi (13 km)
  2. Hiram, OH 18 mi (29 km)
  3. Jamestown, PA 20 mi (32 km)
  4. New Castle, PA 23 mi (37 km)
  5. Dorset, OH 30 mi (48 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: 41.2544, -80.6739.