U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00251684 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Clay Center, NE

NOAA weather station Clay Center (USC00251684), Nebraska · elevation 1788 ft (545 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season181 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Clay Center, NESpring: a frost after April 5 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Clay Center, NESpring: a frost after April 5 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 181 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First 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.Today

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 3October 3
50% (typical)April 19October 20
90% (likely)April 5November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
181 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 7
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 29

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 19 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (1 day later). Frost-free season 183 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 Clay Center: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 3, 20% April 29, 30% April 25, 40% April 22, 50% April 19, 60% April 15, 70% April 12, 80% April 9, 90% April 5. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 2, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 20, 2026 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 3Apr 19Apr 52021: April 222022: May 232023: May 22024: April 222025: April 202026: April 20Fall at Clay Center: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 9, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 22, 70% October 24, 80% October 27, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 17, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 17, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 20Nov 12021: October 172022: October 172023: October 172024: October 162025: October 30
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 22October 17
2022May 23October 17
2023May 2October 17
2024April 22October 16
2025April 20October 30
2026April 20season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date, April 5, carries a 90 % chance of a frost later than that day. In Clay Center the cautious alternative is the later May 3 date, which has only a 10 % chance of a frost after planting.

The 50 % spring light-frost date, April 19, marks the median moment when a 32 °F frost is equally likely, while the 50 % hard-frost date, April 7, shows when a 28 °F freeze is equally probable. In autumn the cautious date for finishing tender crops is October 3 (10 % chance of an earlier frost), the 50 % light-frost date is October 20, and the hard-frost median is October 29.

A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the 28 °F temperature can damage plant tissue that survives a 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 3" 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 3" 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 Clay Center, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Hastings, NE — 19 mi; 2 — Geneva, NE — 24 mi; 3 — Grand Island, NE — 33 mi; 4 — Superior, NE — 34 mi; 5 — Hebron, NE — 34 mi.KS25 mi · 40 km1. Hastings, NE — 19 mi12. Geneva, NE — 24 mi23. Grand Island, NE — 33 mi34. Superior, NE — 34 mi45. Hebron, NE — 34 mi5
  1. Hastings, NE 19 mi (31 km)
  2. Geneva, NE 24 mi (39 km)
  3. Grand Island, NE 33 mi (54 km)
  4. Superior, NE 34 mi (55 km)
  5. Hebron, NE 34 mi (55 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: 40.5208, -98.0536.