U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00003935 · Missouri

Frost Dates for Cape Girardeau, MO

NOAA weather station Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport (USW00003935), Missouri · elevation 336 ft (102 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 21only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season201 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Cape Girardeau, MOSpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 12 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 6 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 201 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Oct 25Frost season at Cape Girardeau, MOSpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 21 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 12 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 6 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 201 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Oct 25
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.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 21October 12
50% (typical)April 5October 25
90% (likely)March 19November 6
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
201 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 26
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 4

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 3 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25. Frost-free season 204 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 Cape Girardeau: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 21, 20% April 16, 30% April 12, 40% April 9, 50% April 5, 60% April 1, 70% March 30, 80% March 26, 90% March 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 19, 2023 March 29, 2024 April 5, 2025 March 21, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 21Apr 5Mar 192021: April 222022: April 192023: March 292024: April 52025: March 212026: March 17Fall at Cape Girardeau: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 12, 20% October 17, 30% October 20, 40% October 23, 50% October 25, 60% October 28, 70% October 31, 80% November 2, 90% November 6. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 30, 2024 October 16, 2025 November 3.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 12Oct 25Nov 62021: November 32022: October 92023: October 302024: October 162025: November 3
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
2021April 22November 3
2022April 19October 9
2023March 29October 30
2024April 5October 16
2025March 21November 3
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 201 days between the 32°F 50% dates in Cape Girardeau frame the period when a garden can generally stay frost-free. The median light-frost date of April 5 marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to occur later, while the October 25 median marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred earlier. Gardeners can use these dates to gauge the central window of low frost risk over the 27-year record.

For a cautious schedule, the spring light-frost date of April 21 carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, making it the recommended latest planting day for tender crops. In the fall, October 12 carries a 10 % chance of a frost earlier, serving as the prudent latest harvest date for those same crops. A hard frost, recorded at 28°F, can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32°F, so the March 26 and November 4 50% hard-frost dates are useful reference points for extreme 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 April 21" 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 12" 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 Cape Girardeau, MONumbered nearest stations: 1 — Jackson, MO — 12 mi; 2 — Sikeston, MO — 24 mi; 3 — Perryville, MO — 40 mi; 4 — Carbondale, IL — 41 mi; 5 — Paducah, KY — 45 mi.MOILKY25 mi · 40 km1. Jackson, MO — 12 mi12. Sikeston, MO — 24 mi23. Perryville, MO — 40 mi34. Carbondale, IL — 41 mi45. Paducah, KY — 45 mi5
  1. Jackson, MO 12 mi (19 km)
  2. Sikeston, MO 24 mi (39 km)
  3. Perryville, MO 40 mi (64 km)
  4. Carbondale, IL 41 mi (67 km)
  5. Paducah, KY 45 mi (73 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.2253, -89.5706.