U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00013984 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Concordia, KS

NOAA weather station Concordia Municipal Airport (USW00013984), Kansas · elevation 1469 ft (448 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 2only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season183 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Concordia, KSSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 19Frost season at Concordia, KSSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 19
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 2October 3
50% (typical)April 18October 19
90% (likely)April 3November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
183 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 20 (2 days later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19. Frost-free season 182 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 Concordia: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 2, 20% April 28, 30% April 25, 40% April 21, 50% April 18, 60% April 15, 70% April 11, 80% April 7, 90% April 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 21, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 5, 2025 April 8, 2026 April 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 2Apr 18Apr 32021: April 212022: April 262023: April 232024: April 52025: April 82026: April 18Fall at Concordia: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 11, 30% October 15, 40% October 17, 50% October 19, 60% October 22, 70% October 24, 80% October 27, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 12, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 27, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 19Nov 12021: November 122022: October 172023: October 272024: 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 21November 12
2022April 26October 17
2023April 23October 27
2024April 5October 16
2025April 8October 30
2026April 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 183 days between the 50% dates in Concordia, Kansas, bracket the period from April 18 to October 19, within which most tender crops can be grown.

For gardeners the 50% dates are reference points, not frost dates; they indicate an even-odds chance of a light frost occurring on either side of the date. The median hard-frost dates are April 7 in spring and October 29 in fall. A hard frost can damage or kill plants more severely than a light frost, making those dates a key marker of serious freeze risk.

A cautious spring plan uses the May 2 date, which carries a 10% chance of a light frost later, while a cautious fall plan uses the October 3 date, which carries a 10% chance of a light frost earlier. Planting before May 2 or after October 3 raises the risk, as the April 3 (90% chance) and November 1 (90% chance) dates are gambles.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 2" 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 Concordia, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Belleville, KS — 18 mi; 2 — Beloit, KS — 25 mi; 3 — Minneapolis, KS — 30 mi; 4 — Clay Center, KS — 30 mi; 5 — Washington, KS — 36 mi.KSNE25 mi · 40 km1. Belleville, KS — 18 mi12. Beloit, KS — 25 mi23. Minneapolis, KS — 30 mi34. Clay Center, KS — 30 mi45. Washington, KS — 36 mi5
  1. Belleville, KS 18 mi (30 km)
  2. Beloit, KS 25 mi (41 km)
  3. Minneapolis, KS 30 mi (48 km)
  4. Clay Center, KS 30 mi (49 km)
  5. Washington, KS 36 mi (58 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 39.5514, -97.6508.