U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00250245 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Anselmo, NE

NOAA weather station Anselmo 2 WSW (USC00250245), Nebraska · elevation 2733 ft (833 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 1050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season143 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Anselmo, NESpring: a frost after April 26 in 9 years out of 10, after May 10 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 143 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 10First frost ~Oct 1Frost season at Anselmo, NESpring: a frost after April 26 in 9 years out of 10, after May 10 in half of the years, after May 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 13 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 143 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 10First frost ~Oct 1
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 24September 18
50% (typical)May 10October 1
90% (likely)April 26October 13
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
143 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 30
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 10

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 10 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 3 (2 days later). Frost-free season 145 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 Anselmo: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 24, 20% May 19, 30% May 16, 40% May 13, 50% May 10, 60% May 7, 70% May 4, 80% May 1, 90% April 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 11, 2022 May 22, 2023 May 3, 2024 April 22.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 24May 10Apr 262021: May 112022: May 222023: May 32024: April 22Fall at Anselmo: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 18, 20% September 23, 30% September 27, 40% September 30, 50% October 1, 60% October 4, 70% October 6, 80% October 9, 90% October 13. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 14.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 18Oct 1Oct 132021: October 142022: October 172023: October 72024: October 14
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 11October 14
2022May 22October 17
2023May 3October 7
2024April 22October 14
2025no datano data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 143 days between the 50% light-frost dates, May 10 and October 1, define the period in which a 32 °F frost is equally likely to have occurred or not. For a gardener in Anselmo, the May 10 and October 1 dates each carry a 50 % chance of a frost, marking the median point of light-frost risk in spring and fall.

A cautious spring plan would wait until May 24, when only a 10 % chance of a frost remains, while a cautious fall plan would finish tender crops by September 18, when the chance of an earlier frost is also 10 %. Hard frost at 28 °F, with median dates of April 30 and October 10, can damage plants more severely than a light frost, so its timing matters more.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 24" 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 September 18" 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 Anselmo, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Broken Bow, NE — 18 mi; 2 — Stapleton, NE — 37 mi; 3 — Elsmere, NE — 39 mi; 4 — Gothenburg, NE — 48 mi; 5 — North Platte (Airport), NE — 52 mi.NE25 mi · 40 km1. Broken Bow, NE — 18 mi12. Stapleton, NE — 37 mi23. Elsmere, NE — 39 mi34. Gothenburg, NE — 48 mi45. North Platte (Airport), NE — 52 mi5
  1. Broken Bow, NE 18 mi (30 km)
  2. Stapleton, NE 37 mi (60 km)
  3. Elsmere, NE 39 mi (63 km)
  4. Gothenburg, NE 48 mi (77 km)
  5. North Platte (Airport), NE 52 mi (84 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.6108, -99.9044.