U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00332160 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Dennison, OH

NOAA weather station Dennison Water Works (USC00332160), Ohio · elevation 860 ft (262 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 17only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season170 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Dennison, OHSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 170 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Dennison, OHSpring: a frost after April 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 17 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 170 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 15
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 17October 2
50% (typical)April 29October 15
90% (likely)April 17October 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
170 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 17
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 27 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (6 days later). Frost-free season 177 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 Dennison: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 17, 20% May 10, 30% May 5, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 26, 70% April 24, 80% April 21, 90% April 17. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 2, 2022 April 30, 2023 April 29, 2024 April 26, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 17Apr 29Apr 172021: May 22022: April 302023: April 292024: April 262025: April 182026: May 4Fall at Dennison: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 2, 20% October 6, 30% October 9, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 18, 70% October 21, 80% October 25, 90% October 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 27, 2025 October 26.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 2Oct 15Oct 302021: November 32022: October 92023: October 232024: October 272025: October 26
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 2November 3
2022April 30October 9
2023April 29October 23
2024April 26October 27
2025April 18October 26
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 17 carries a 90% chance of a frost later, so planting then is a gamble for gardeners in Dennison. The cautious spring date is May 17, when only a 10% chance of a later frost remains. The 50% date is April 29, marking an even odds point for a frost after that day. The median hard-frost date in spring is April 17 and the median hard-frost date in fall is October 28, reminding that a 28 °F frost can be considerably more damaging than a 32 °F light frost.

In the fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 2, with only a 10% chance that a frost has already arrived. Waiting until October 30 is a gamble, as a frost earlier than that day occurs with 90% likelihood. The 50% date is October 15, indicating an even chance of a frost earlier than that day. Hard frost matters more because temperatures at 28 °F can kill plant tissue that survives a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 17" 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 2" 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 Dennison, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cambridge, OH — 30 mi; 2 — Millersburg, OH — 32 mi; 3 — near Akron, OH — 36 mi; 4 — Steubenville, OH — 38 mi; 5 — near Wheeling, WV — 38 mi.OHPAWV25 mi · 40 km1. Cambridge, OH — 30 mi12. Millersburg, OH — 32 mi23. near Akron, OH — 36 mi34. Steubenville, OH — 38 mi45. near Wheeling, WV — 38 mi5
  1. Cambridge, OH 30 mi (48 km)
  2. Millersburg, OH 32 mi (51 km)
  3. near Akron, OH 36 mi (57 km)
  4. Steubenville, OH 38 mi (61 km)
  5. near Wheeling, WV 38 mi (62 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: 40.4056, -81.3436.