U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00352406 · Oregon

Frost Dates for Drain, OR

NOAA weather station Drain (USC00352406), Oregon · elevation 292 ft (89 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 8only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season193 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Drain, ORSpring: a frost after March 23 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 193 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 25Frost season at Drain, ORSpring: a frost after March 23 in 9 years out of 10, after April 16 in half of the years, after May 8 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 25 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 193 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 16First frost ~Oct 25
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 8October 2
50% (typical)April 16October 25
90% (likely)March 23November 25
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
193 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 21

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25. Frost-free season 190 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 Drain: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 8, 20% May 2, 30% April 28, 40% April 22, 50% April 16, 60% April 11, 70% April 5, 80% March 31, 90% March 23. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 14, 2023 March 17, 2024 April 17, 2025 April 5, 2026 April 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 8Apr 16Mar 232021: April 142023: March 172024: April 172025: April 52026: April 18Fall at Drain: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 2, 20% October 9, 30% October 16, 40% October 20, 50% October 25, 60% October 30, 70% November 4, 80% November 14, 90% November 25. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2023 October 28, 2024 December 1, 2025 January 9.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1Oct 2Oct 25Nov 252023: October 282024: December 12025: January 9
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 14incomplete record
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023March 17October 28
2024April 17December 1
2025April 5January 9
2026April 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on March 23 in Drain is a gamble because there is a 90 % chance of a frost later than this date. In contrast, the cautious spring date for tender crops is May 8, when only a 10 % chance of a frost later remains.

The 50 % light-frost date of April 16 tells a gardener that a frost is equally likely to occur later or not, while the 50 % hard-frost date of March 10 marks the point where a 28 °F freeze is equally likely to happen later. For fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 2, which carries only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier; the 50 % light-frost date is October 25.

A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so the March 10 and November 21 50 % hard-frost dates are especially important.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 8" 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 Drain, ORNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cottage Grove, OR — 17 mi; 2 — Dorena, OR — 20 mi; 3 — near Roseburg, OR — 31 mi; 4 — near Eugene, OR — 33 mi; 5 — near Lowell, OR — 33 mi.OR25 mi · 40 km1. Cottage Grove, OR — 17 mi12. Dorena, OR — 20 mi23. near Roseburg, OR — 31 mi34. near Eugene, OR — 33 mi45. near Lowell, OR — 33 mi5
  1. Cottage Grove, OR 17 mi (28 km)
  2. Dorena, OR 20 mi (32 km)
  3. near Roseburg, OR 31 mi (50 km)
  4. near Eugene, OR 33 mi (53 km)
  5. near Lowell, OR 33 mi (53 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 43.6592, -123.325.