U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00330563 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Bellefontaine, OH

NOAA weather station Bellefontaine (USC00330563), Ohio · elevation 1176 ft (358 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 12only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Bellefontaine, OHSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Bellefontaine, OHSpring: a frost after April 12 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 7 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 26First 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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 12October 7
50% (typical)April 26October 20
90% (likely)April 12October 31
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 30

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 26 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (2 days later). Frost-free season 178 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 Bellefontaine: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 12, 20% May 6, 30% May 2, 40% April 30, 50% April 26, 60% April 22, 70% April 19, 80% April 16, 90% April 12. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 10, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 12Apr 26Apr 122021: May 102022: April 282023: April 252024: April 262025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Bellefontaine: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 7, 20% October 11, 30% October 15, 40% October 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 22, 70% October 24, 80% October 27, 90% October 31. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 27, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 7Oct 20Oct 312021: October 272022: October 82023: October 312024: 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
2021May 10October 27
2022April 28October 8
2023April 25October 31
2024April 26October 16
2025April 17October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 7 is the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Bellefontaine; only a 10 % chance exists that a light frost has come earlier. In spring the cautious date for moving tender crops into the garden is May 12, when the chance of a light frost later than that day is 10 %.

The median point of light-frost risk is April 26 in spring and October 20 in fall; each of those dates carries a 50 % chance of a frost later (spring) or earlier (fall) than the date. Gardeners can use those dates to gauge the middle of the frost window.

Hard-frost risk is shown by the 28 °F 50 % dates, April 16 and October 30, indicating when a hard frost is as likely as not; hard frost matters more because it can cause far greater damage to plants than a light frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 12" 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 7" 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 Bellefontaine, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Urbana, OH — 18 mi; 2 — Sidney, OH — 21 mi; 3 — Springfield, OH — 26 mi; 4 — Marysville, OH — 29 mi; 5 — Lima, OH — 32 mi.IN25 mi · 40 km1. Urbana, OH — 18 mi12. Sidney, OH — 21 mi23. Springfield, OH — 26 mi34. Marysville, OH — 29 mi45. Lima, OH — 32 mi5
  1. Urbana, OH 18 mi (28 km)
  2. Sidney, OH 21 mi (33 km)
  3. Springfield, OH 26 mi (42 km)
  4. Marysville, OH 29 mi (47 km)
  5. Lima, OH 32 mi (51 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: 40.3536, -83.7753.