U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00141740 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Columbus, KS

NOAA weather station Columbus (USC00141740), Kansas · elevation 893 ft (272 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 22only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season208 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Columbus, KSSpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 31 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 208 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Oct 31Frost season at Columbus, KSSpring: a frost after March 19 in 9 years out of 10, after April 5 in half of the years, after April 22 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 31 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 208 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 5First frost ~Oct 31
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 22October 18
50% (typical)April 5October 31
90% (likely)March 19November 14
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
208 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 30 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 207 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 Columbus: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 22, 20% April 16, 30% April 11, 40% April 8, 50% April 5, 60% April 2, 70% March 30, 80% March 26, 90% March 19. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 8, 2026 March 28.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 22Apr 5Mar 192021: April 222024: April 222025: April 82026: March 28Fall at Columbus: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 18, 20% October 22, 30% October 26, 40% October 28, 50% October 31, 60% November 2, 70% November 5, 80% November 8, 90% November 14. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2024 October 16, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 18Oct 31Nov 142024: October 162025: November 1
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 22incomplete record
2022incomplete recordno data
2023no dataincomplete record
2024April 22October 16
2025April 8November 1
2026March 28season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of March 19 carries a 90 % chance of frost, a clear gamble for gardeners in Columbus. Similarly, aiming to keep tender crops until the late-fall date of November 14 involves a 90 % chance that a frost will already have arrived, making it another gamble.

The 50 % date of April 5 marks the point at which there is an even chance of a light frost occurring later, while the 50 % date of October 31 marks the point at which there is an even chance of a light frost occurring earlier. The cautious date for setting out tender crops in spring is April 22, and the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops in fall is October 18.

A hard frost at 28 °F—such as the median dates of March 25 in spring and November 9 in fall—can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, so it matters more to gardeners.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 22" 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 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 Columbus, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Joplin, MO — 19 mi; 2 — Girard, KS — 23 mi; 3 — Parsons, KS — 28 mi; 4 — Mound Valley, KS — 33 mi; 5 — Neosho, MO — 34 mi.MOOK25 mi · 40 km1. Joplin, MO — 19 mi12. Girard, KS — 23 mi23. Parsons, KS — 28 mi34. Mound Valley, KS — 33 mi45. Neosho, MO — 34 mi5
  1. Joplin, MO 19 mi (30 km)
  2. Girard, KS 23 mi (37 km)
  3. Parsons, KS 28 mi (45 km)
  4. Mound Valley, KS 33 mi (54 km)
  5. Neosho, MO 34 mi (55 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: 37.1767, -94.8428.