U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00331404 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Centerburg, OH

NOAA weather station Centerburg 2 SE (USC00331404), Ohio · elevation 1205 ft (367 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 13only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season172 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Centerburg, OHSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 27First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Centerburg, OHSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 27 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 5 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 172 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 27First 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.Today

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 13October 5
50% (typical)April 27October 17
90% (likely)April 13October 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
172 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 15
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 25 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 20 (3 days later). Frost-free season 175 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 Centerburg: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 13, 20% May 7, 30% May 3, 40% April 30, 50% April 27, 60% April 23, 70% April 20, 80% April 17, 90% April 13. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 1, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 13Apr 27Apr 132021: May 12022: April 282023: April 272024: April 252025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Centerburg: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 5, 20% October 8, 30% October 11, 40% October 14, 50% October 17, 60% October 19, 70% October 22, 80% October 25, 90% October 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 2, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 5Oct 17Oct 302021: November 22022: October 82023: October 232024: October 172025: 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 1November 2
2022April 28October 8
2023April 27October 23
2024April 25October 17
2025April 17October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 13 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Centerburg, Ohio, and it gives a gardener a ten-percent chance that a frost will occur later, making it the reference point for setting out tender crops. The complementary cautious fall date is October 5, when there is only a ten-percent chance that a frost has arrived earlier, indicating the latest day to finish harvesting tender crops.

April 27 marks the 50 % light-frost date in spring and October 17 marks the 50 % light-frost date in fall; each represents an even chance of a frost occurring on either side of the date. The hard-frost 50 % dates are April 15 in spring and October 28 in fall, and they indicate the point at which a 28 °F frost is equally likely to have happened or not.

A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that would otherwise survive a light frost at 32 °F, so it represents a more critical temperature threshold for tender crops.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 13" 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 5" 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 Centerburg, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Newark, OH — 19 mi; 2 — Westerville, OH — 19 mi; 3 — Danville, OH — 21 mi; 4 — near Columbus, OH — 24 mi; 5 — Marysville, OH — 33 mi.OH25 mi · 40 km1. Newark, OH — 19 mi12. Westerville, OH — 19 mi23. Danville, OH — 21 mi34. near Columbus, OH — 24 mi45. Marysville, OH — 33 mi5
  1. Newark, OH 19 mi (31 km)
  2. Westerville, OH 19 mi (31 km)
  3. Danville, OH 21 mi (34 km)
  4. near Columbus, OH 24 mi (38 km)
  5. Marysville, OH 33 mi (53 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: 40.2914, -82.6547.